Under Different Circumstances
by orangepencils
Summary: A series of short stories showing the evolution between Vincent and Jean-Pierre. Ratings vary K - M. The relaunched project.
1. Part L

**Under Different Circumstances**

**Part L**

**283**

**Why not start this with a bang, right? This started off as a gag between myself and P. It then escaladed. **

**Enjoy? **

**Disclaimer: I am reposting these. They have been re-proofread and changed, in some cases.**

Under Different Circumstances

Part L

Jean-Pierre was completely happy today. Today was his national day; his birthday and he could do whatever he wanted to. He left the house at the end of the week, to go to his own place, to party. His father would probably show up at some point or another, like he always did, but Jean-Pierre didn't really care, he was surrounded by his people and beer. There was always a lot of beer at his birthday party. Beer, loud music, pot, other alcohol and very fine human specimen, amongst other things.

It was late into the party. He already had a lot of beer and perhaps a joint, or two… He wouldn't tell his father for obvious reasons. He was lucky Vincent hadn't seen him, or else he wouldn't still be laughing and singing drunkenly.

Speaking of his brother, for some reason, Vincent decided to tag along and come party with him. He had no idea where the younger man was anymore. The last he saw of him, he was just as smashed as he was. Jean-Pierre was patted on the back and he turned around to see whom it was. He was surprised to find his brother there, who draped his arm around his shoulder.

"Bonne fête, Jean."/ _"Happy birthday, Jean." _ Vincent murmured in his ear. It might have been his imagination, but Jean-Pierre could have sworn he felt him nibble at his earlobe. For some reason, it turned him on. It was then he realised just how close Vincent was and just how attractive he looked when he wore blue.

Vincent moved so that he was now standing to Jean-Pierre's side. Their hips were touching and his brother had his arms wrapped loosely around his waist making them even closer than before. The proximity should have been wrong, but it felt so good and he found himself wishing they could be closer still.

"I don't think I gave you your present yet." He could feel Vincent's breath tickle the shell of his ear. Jean-Pierre wanted to kiss those lips and ravage that mouth. The mere thought made him groan. It didn't help that Vincent's hands started to wander and they were getting closer to his waistband. He wanted to tell his brother to get on with it already, but wasn't this wrong?

"Non tu m'l'as pas donné..."/ _"No you didn't give it to me…"_ He found himself saying. Vincent smirked and Jean-Pierre thought his brother would make a nice present right about now.

"Je crois avoir quelque chose qui te plairas beaucoup, viens."/ _"I think I have something that would please you a lot, come." _ Vincent took Jean-Pierre's hand in his own and led him to a small-secluded spot. They could still hear the music and the crowd cheering on, partying without him, but no one could see them. When they got to the spot, Vincent pinned him to the tree trunk and kissed him roughly. It was clumsy and slightly awkward, but neither of them complained about it.

Vincent clutched at Jean-Pierre's shirt, while Jean-Pierre pressed the other's body as close as possible. After a first messy attempt, they realized they didn't need to be so quick and slowed down enough for Jean-Pierre to mould his lips around Vincent's and for the younger man to slip his tongue in his brother's mouth.

It was something beyond his wildest fantasies. Here he was making out with Vincent, one hand feeling Vincent's backside, while Vincent had one hand massaging his scalp and the other started bunching up his shirt.

At some point, they broke away for air and Jean-Pierre looked into Vincent's eyes wondering if this was indeed happening. Vincent gave him a coy smile, before tugging on his shirt. He smirked in return and raised his arms. Vincent pulled the shirt over his head and the article of clothing was discarded. Vincent observed Jean-Pierre's chest for a while, before passing a hand over it reverently and his mouth soon followed, as it trailed hot kisses down from his collarbone to his left nipple.

While Vincent was busy with his mouth on one side, he used his hand to massage the other nipple. Jean-Pierre didn't stop the moan that came to his lips and let it out. It only made Vincent smirk against his skin and suck harder.

After a while, when Vincent judged Jean-Pierre's lower body had been neglected long enough; he continued kissing his way down, until he reached the other's pants. Vincent hesitated for a moment, before undoing the button with his hands and the zipper with his teeth. As he slid the zipper down, his teeth grazed against Jean-Pierre's erection making the older man hiss at the contact and involuntarily thrust his hips towards Vincent's mouth. Vincent smirked.

"Impatient, aren't we?" He murmured against the bulge in Jean-Pierre's briefs.

"Fucking tease." The older of the two brothers' grunted.

"You're right. There will be fucking and teasing." Vincent murmured against his lips. He travelled back up momentarily making sure to brush his body against his brother's. Jean-Pierre felt there was too much talking going on and claimed the other man's lips in a searing kiss. Jean-Pierre then came to the realization it was entirely unfair if his brother was still fully clothed, while he was down to his briefs.

He remedied the situation by pulling off the shirt and letting his hands roam free on Vincent's torso. The younger man didn't seem to mind the contact, so he continued. Jean-Pierre helped Vincent remove his pants, and the younger man rewarded him with a kiss. Their clothes lay in a pile by their side, both too busy to pay attention to them. Once they were both in their undergarments, Vincent wasted no time in stripping the last of Jean-Pierre's clothes.

Vincent took a moment to observe his handy work and his brother in his full glory. Jean-Pierre's cheeks coloured slightly, whether from the alcohol or from embarrassment, he wasn't sure, but it was attractive.

"Well, I guess you were right, c'pas l'Stade Olympique."/ _"…it's not the Olympic Stadium."_ He whispered. They stood in front of each other for a second or two, their needs were obvious to one another, but it was as if both of them were hesitant to take the next move. Finally, Jean-Pierre broke the silence.

"Crisse, tu vas-tu m'observer à' soirée longue ou vas-tu falloir que j'me masturbe devant toi pour qu'tu fasses de quoi?"/ _"Christ, are you gonna observe me all night long or do I have to masturbate myself in front of you, before you do something?"_ Vincent smirked and for some reason, Jean-Pierre wasn't entirely sure it was a safe smirk.

"Why don't you do that, hm? Touch yourself, Jean. Touch yourself and make believe it's me. Do it." Jean-Pierre did as he was told, because he needed something to happen or else he was going to lose it. He tried to imagine it was his brother, who was touching him like that. He moaned loudly and arched his back into his hand.

Vincent thought of asking his brother to finish himself off for him, but the more he watched, the more he wanted to end the job himself. He had no idea why, but there was something incredibly alluring, attractive and goddamn hot and sexy about his older brother touching himself and moaning so loudly, because he was imagining it was him, Vincent, who was doing those things. Vincent watched as Jean-Pierre's back arched and showed off his taunt muscles. He couldn't take it anymore. Something had to be done.

He took two steps before kneeling on the ground. Jean-Pierre was impervious to everything, since his eyes were closed. Vincent put his hand on his brother's and Jean-Pierre stopped for a moment. Blue eyes opened and stared into violet ones.

"Allow me." He murmured, before bringing his mouth closer to where Jean-Pierre's hands had been. The night was still young and the promises of fun were high.

* * *

Jean-Pierre woke with a start. He blinked a few times before realising he was at home, in his father's house. He passed a hand through his messy locks, before sitting up in his bed. It had only been a dream. Perhaps his various alcoholic mixes were not the greatest of his ideas. He could feel the tightness in his pyjama pants and he got up to take care of his little problem.

As he got out of bed, he noticed his room looked messier than usual and his clothes were all over the place. He would have to clean up a bit tomorrow, before his father went ape shit on him.

Jean-Pierre took one-step, before someone obstructed the dim light coming from the corridor.

"Ah, Jean, you're awake." The older man's eyes widened as he saw his younger brother stand there, in nothing more but his own pair of boxer shorts that had the Fleur de Lys patterned all over them.

Just what had truly happened?

**OWARI 1**

**I FINISHED! YAY!**

**I hope you liked it!**

**I do accept anonymous reviews.**

**Started writing: May 3****rd**** 2010, 10:36am**

**Finished writing: May 5****th**** 2010, 10:37am**

**Started typing: May 6****th**** 2010, 9:34pm**

**Finished typing: May 8****th**** 2010, 12:57am**


	2. Snoring

**Under Different Circumstances**

**Snoring**

**Rating for this chapter: T**

Under Different Circumstances

Snoring

Jean-Pierre was sleeping soundly, covers askew, head resting on the pillow and Vincent snuggled close to him. His own arm wrapped around his lover's waist and their legs were entwined together. They had finally taken their relationship to the next step and the whole experience, although a bit awkward at first had been simply amazing.

It started with teasing kisses here and there that led to Vincent pushing him inside his bedroom. Jean-Pierre had been on his way downstairs to get something or other, when Vincent seemingly sprung out of nowhere and pinned him to the wall. He was pleasantly surprised by the assault and more than willing to respond, but just as Vincent put his leg around his waist, he winked at him and sauntered off.

Jean-Pierre hadn't been okay with that and chased Vincent further down the corridor, before cornering him and moulding their lips together, once more. There had been a thigh being pressed between someone's legs here and hands started to unbutton a shirt, before they found themselves with their backs to Vincent's room.

They looked into each other's eyes for a moment; blue meeting with violet, violet shining with love, before he nodded and Vincent opened the door and closed it behind them. From there, it was nothing but touching, kissing, shedding of clothes and discovering new territory that felt familiar yet foreign. It was an experience they both wanted to repeat again.

Their first time together was enjoyable and they fell asleep in a heap of limbs, pressing kisses to each other, before Vincent whispered in his ear something that made him smile slightly and then they fell asleep sprawled on the bed together.

This brought him back to the present situation, where they were sleeping soundly, until a very loud noise disturbed Jean-Pierre. His eyes snapped open and he grunted, as he tried to locate the source of it. When he didn't hear it for a couple of seconds, he closed his eyes and tried to fall back asleep, but then he heard it again.

Jean-Pierre sighed, as he watched Vincent snore away in his sleep. He had forgotten his lover was not a quiet sleeper and was one of the things that contributed to him wanting a separate room; that and the fact he was still trying to leave his father for good.

"Come on, ta yeule."/ _"Come on, shut up."_ He whispered to Vincent, who only shifted a bit in his sleep and continued snoring. Jean-Pierre cursed the high heavens, poked, and prodded him in the hopes of getting him to pipe down. He even tried whistling since, apparently, that was supposed to help, but it did absolutely nothing. He was doomed.

Before tonight, and before he started this relationship with Vincent, he would have picked up and gone to sleep in his own room, or elsewhere, but right now he was rather comfortable with Vincent pressed close to his body and his mind had been at total ease.

He would have clamped his hand on Vincent's mouth, until the younger man woke up, but one look at his angelic, sleeping face and his heart melted a little on the inside. Then Vincent let out a particular loud snort and Jean-Pierre had enough. This called for drastic measures.

He disentangled himself from his lover's side and covered his head with the pillow, hoping it would help camouflage the noise a bit. It did help, but it was highly uncomfortable and there was no air. Jean-Pierre glared at him, as Vincent continued to sleep; oblivious to the fact the other man was trying everything short of throwing a bucket of cold water in his face to get him to shut up.

* * *

Throughout the rest of the night and the early hours of the morning, Jean-Pierre got little to no sleep. He could hear the hours of the night go by, as his watch beeped twice for every sixty minutes that flew by.

He tried to sleep on the couch, (his room was too far for his tired body at this late hour), but it was rather cold and he missed Vincent's warm body. There was also the fact he could still hear the younger man snore away. When there was a short, lapses of silence, Jean-Pierre crawled back into the bed and Vincent sought him out in his sleep. Finally, at around six in the morning, he was able to fall asleep.

He was sleeping soundly when he felt something trying to pull him from the rather short rest he was having. He felt kisses peppered to his chest and shoulder and even though he tried to shield himself from it, the person was quite insistent and managed to sever the last of his ties with his rest.

"…an… Jean, aller, réveille toi."/ _"…an… __Jean, come on, wake up."_ The kisses made it to his chin, then his cheek, before his nose and then the other cheek. By then, he cracked one blue eye open and stared at the happy, well-rested looking Vincent.

"Enfin! Bonjour, as-tu bien dormis?"/ _"Finally! Good morning, did you sleep well?"_ His lover had the gull to ask him, as he rolled closer to him, before placing himself on top of him. Jean-Pierre felt like pushing him off and going back to sleep, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, since Vincent looked just so happy. Instead, he glared at him.

"Qu'est-ce qu'y'a, Jean? T'es pas content de me voir?"/ _"What's wrong, Jean? __Aren't you happy to see me?"_ Vincent's face fell a bit and Jean-Pierre would have tried to soothe away his worries had it not been for the hellish night he just went through.

"Chu content de t'voir, mais tabarnak, Vincent, tu ronfles fucking fort, pis j'ai pas dormis d'l'ostie d'nuit."/ _"I'm happy to see you, but holy shit, Vincent, you snore fucking loudly and I didn't sleep all night long."_ To add emphasis, he yawned widely.

"Ah, chuis désolé…"/ _"Ah, I'm sorry…" _ Vincent started off.

"C'correct là, va juste falloir trouver une solution, sinon m'a pas être un homme heureux."/ _"S'okay, we're just gonna have to find a solution, or else I'm not gonna be a happy man."_ He shrugged the matter off as nothing, but he knew Vincent knew it was bothering him.

"J'ai peut-être une petite idée qui pourrait t'aider…"/ _"I might have an idea that could help you…"_ Vincent sat up in his bed, with his back against the pillows, before manoeuvring Jean-Pierre so that he was lying between his legs with his head resting on the younger man's thigh. Vincent started combing his fingers' through Jean-Pierre's scalp. The soothing motion and the quiet that finally reigned in the room lulled him to sleep and he was finally able to get some rest.

In his opinion, it wouldn't matter if Vincent snored, as long as he could sleep like this in the morning.

**OWARI 2**

**I do accept anonymous reviews.**

**Started writing: May 30****th**** 2010, 2:06pm**

**Finished writing: May 30****th**** 2010, 9:57pm**

**Started typing: May 30****th**** 2010, 10:52pm**

**Finished typing: May 30****th**** 2010, 11:53pm**


	3. Fatherly

**Under Different Circumstances**

**Fatherly**

**Largely inspired by a little fact I found out about Québec, and also part of my headcanon. **

**Rating for this chapter: T-**

Under Different Circumstances

Fatherly

Vincent was on a quest. No, a mission. It had been a while now, about a month or so, that his brother turned lover was keeping something from him. Every Saturday, Jean-Pierre would leave the house at around nine in the morning, shortly after breakfast and head out until Monday. He had no idea where his boyfriend went and every time he asked, the older man told him it was none of his business.

Because he was a curious man and because it was his business where Jean-Pierre went, Vincent decided he would do what any worried and not jealous person would do. Follow Jean-Pierre, of course! Once breakfast was done, the elder of the two kissed him good-bye, before heading out the door. Vincent counted to fifteen before running out of the house and jumping in his car.

He was lucky enough to be able to catch up to him, without having Jean-Pierre see him. He kept a good distance between the two of them and made sure he always had an eye on the other man's car. Once or twice, Vincent was sure Jean-Pierre saw him, but he was quick to lose some distance.

Vincent wondered where Jean-Pierre was heading and for a split second, he envisioned him locking himself in some shack, up in the mountains, with some girl and spending the entire weekend making hot, passionate, love to her. The simple thought sent a wave of rage coursing through his body and he sped up just a tad more.

He had no idea where Jean-Pierre was driving to and he was expecting anything from a bar, to his house, to a strip joint, to his friend's house, to anywhere, but a little nondescript white building off the road. Vincent was definitively intrigued now. He stayed in his car and watched Jean-Pierre walk up the stairs and knock at the heavy looking oak door. He fidgeted from one foot to the other, until the door opened and a woman's eyes widened in pleasant surprise.

Vincent was about to jump out of his car and slap him silly, when he saw Jean-Pierre take this stranger's hand and give it a tender kiss, but what happened next had him rooted to the spot. A child, with wild sandy blonde hair, came running from inside the building and launched himself at the older man. Jean-Pierre caught the child with ease and lifted him up in the air. The boy shrieked with glee and Vincent watched as a look of pure adoration came to his lover's face.

He couldn't believe what Jean-Pierre had done behind his back and had a child with a common woman no less. Obviously, he knew this was the only explanation as to why Jean-Pierre came to visit this place. His mistress probably worked here and because Jean-Pierre was busy screwing other people around (in this case, him), he was never around to take care of his child, so she had to bring their bastard kid to work with her.

In retrospect, it didn't surprise him. It was a low thing to do, but Jean-Pierre was known for doing low things and being down right cruel when he wanted to. Except, this time, Vincent seriously thought Jean-Pierre changed for him. Apparently not. He was about to pull out and head back home, but then a little girl came out and hugged Jean-Pierre around his knees.

Jean-Pierre put the little boy down and took each of the children's hands, before following the woman inside the strange building. It was time for Vincent to put his spying skills to the test and put James Bond to shame. He pulled out his sunglasses and a hat from the glove compartment and stepped out of his car. He made sure to hide behind the trees, as he walked towards the building. He was extra cautious to be discreet and placed himself by the first window he saw.

He peered inside and saw Jean-Pierre in a room that looked like a classroom. There were many more children in it and now, Vincent was confused. Just what was this place? Luckily, the window was open and he could hear the exchange between the adults.

"Je suis heureuse de vous revoir, M. Tremblay. Les enfants apprécient beaucoup votre compagnie et ils parlent toujours en bien de vous."/ _"I'm pleased to see you again, Mr. Tremblay. The children really appreciate your company and they always speak fondly of you."_

"Ça me fait plaisir. C'est la moindre des choses que je peux faire."/ _"It's not a problem. It's the least I can do."_ Vincent watched him play with the children. He helped a little boy build a tall tower of blocks and praised a little girl's drawing. He let another little girl play with his hair and serve him make believe tea and cookies and Vincent thought it was the most adorable thing ever. He didn't expect Jean-Pierre to let himself get pulled into their little games, but he was patient with all of them and played with each child in turn.

WhenJean-Pierre left the room with the woman, the children all came to hug him. He said good-bye and then seemed to look in his general direction, before shrugging it off and following the other adult out of the room. Vincent walked to the other window, convinced he was expertly camouflaged, and came across a plaque that read "L'orphelinat de la petite enfance de Sacré Coeur." Somehow, everything made more sense now.

This other room had mostly young toddlers and infants and Vincent watched his boyfriend coo over them. And here Jean-Pierre told him he only cooed over Nyla. That was obviously a lie, seeing how he looked just as happy. Again, Jean-Pierre glanced in his direction and Vincent ducked as low as he could. He heard him walk towards the window, babe in arm. Jean-Pierre stopped for a moment before turning back. Vincent let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and took his previous spot.

"Vous avez un don spécial avec les enfants, M. Tremblay. Vous ferriez un excellent père, un jour."/ _"You have a special gift with children, Mr. Tremblay. You would make an excellent father, someday."_ Vincent saw him blush slightly at the praise and it warmed his heart.

"Merci, Thérèse, mais j'pense pas qu'ça va arriver…"/ _"Thank you, Thérèse, but I don't think it's going to happen…" _She looked just as shocked as he felt.

"Et pourquoi pas?"/ _"And why not?"_ Jean-Pierre hesitated.

"Votre copine n'en veux pas?"/ _"Your girlfriend doesn't want any?"_

"Ben, y'a pas vraiment de copine… c'est plutôt un copain."/ _"Well, there isn't really a girlfriend… it's more like a boyfriend." _Vincent let out a gasp that thankfully the other two did not hear. It was the very first time Jean-Pierre acknowledged their relationship to anyone else and the younger man felt like running to him and kissing him senseless. He listened closely to see what would happen next.

"Ah, vous voulez dire le jeune homme qui nous écoutes à la fenêtre depuis votre arrivé?"/ _"Ah, you mean the young man that has been listening at the window, since you've arrived?"_ Thérèse laughed lightly as Jean-Pierre turned around so quickly he didn't have time to hide again, but he did so anyway. He heard Jean-Pierre walk to the windowsill, once more, and knew his charade was up and James Bond would laugh at him, until his death.

"Vincent, je sais qu'té là. Allez, rentre dont à l'intérieur comme un humain civilisé, au lieu d'agir comme un clown."/ _"Vincent, I know you're there. Come inside like a civilized human being instead of acting like a clown." _Jean-Pierre told him, even though he wasn't looking at him. His boyfriend let him regain a bit of his pride by walking away from the window, but then he paused for a second. Vincent could practically hear the smirk in his voice.

"En passant, tu enlèveras tes lunettes et ton chapeau. T'as l'air d'un vrai idiot."/ _"By the ways, you could remove your glasses and your hat. You look like a real idiot."_ Jean-Pierre laughed, as he turned various shades of red.

Vincent quickly removed his disguise, before walking to the front door where he found Jean-Pierre and Thérèse waiting for him. The two of them exchanged small smiles, before he introduced himself to the woman. While they talked, Jean-Pierre excused him to say good-bye to the children and him and Thérèse watched Jean-Pierre leave.

"Il n'y a pas beaucoup de personnes comme lui sur cette terre. Je ne connais pas beaucoup d'hommes qui vont à un orphelinat pour dévouer leur fin de semaine pour ces enfants. Il a son cœur à la bonne place. Si seulement il pouvait réaliser le potentiel qu'il a."/ _"There aren't many people like him on this planet. __I don't know many men who go to the orphanage to dedicate their weekend for these kids. He has his heart in the right place. If only he could realise all the potential he has." _The woman started.

"Vous avez raison. Il a des bonnes qualités. Si seulement il se donnait la chance."/ _"You're right. __He has a lot of good qualities. If only he would give himself a chance." _They were silent for a moment, as Jean-Pierre walked back towards them and put his arm casually around his waist.

"Bon, je vous laisse y aller. J'imagine que vous allez revenir demain, M. Tremblay?"/ _"Well, I'll let you leave. __I imagine you will come back tomorrow, Mr. Tremblay?" _She asked with a fond smile.

"Toujours. Merci pour tout, Thérèse."/ _"Always. Thanks for everything, Thérèse." _Jean-Pierre told her gently.

"Y'a pas de quoi. Et vous pouvez venir aussi, M. Lambert."/ _"It's nothing. __And you can come as well, Mr. Lambert."_ Vincent nodded and they waved, as they made their way out. Once outside, Jean-Pierre brought his arm up to rest on his shoulders and pulled him closer.

"Me semblais que j't'avais dit de t'mêler de tes propres affaires."/ _"I thought I told you to keep your nose out of my things."_ Jean-Pierre whispered in his ear.

"Mais j'voulais juste savoir ou t'allais…"/ _"But I just wanted to know where you were going…"_ He tried to defend himself.

"Espèce de jaloux. Quéssé m'a faire avec toi?"/ _"You little jealous you. Whatever am I going to do with you?" _Jean-Pierre told him with a teasing smile, kissing the side of his face.

"Drive to your place so you could make sweet love to me in your bedroom?" Jean-Pierre chuckled even louder and pulled him closer still.

"Té impossible, Vincent, mais bien sûr, allez, suis moi."/ _"You're impossible, Vincent, but sure, c'mon, follow me."_ Jean-Pierre walked to his own car and stepped in, while he went back to his. Vincent followed him to his house and as he drove, he couldn't help but think back to the words Thérèse said and to what he saw. Jean-Pierre really did have a gift and it was a shame he didn't allow himself to show it off more often. But, perhaps, if he helped him, Jean-Pierre would realise there was more to him that met the eye.

For now however, Vincent would concentrate on the man who was waiting for him at the door, hand extended in a welcoming invite. He would take that hand and allow Jean-Pierre to lead him to the bedroom, where he would gently lay him down on the soft mattress, before proceeding to kiss every available surface of his face. And then, the two of them would become an entanglement of limbs, as Jean-Pierre would love and promise to cherish every inch of him. For now, he wouldn't ask for more.

**OWARI 3**

**I do accept anonymous reviews.**

**Started writing: June 1****st**** 2010, 10:31pm**

**Finished writing: June 2****nd**** 2010, 3:45pm**

**Started typing: June 5****th**** 2010, 12:03pm**

**Finished typing: June 5****th**** 2010, 1:10pm**


	4. Poutine, Games and Charades

**Under Different Circumstances**

**Poutine, Games and Charades**

**It's Jean-Pierre's birthday, this is justified!**

**Disclaimer: Bloody headache.**

**Rating: T+**

Under Different Circumstances

Poutine, Games and Charades

Jean-Pierre Tremblay was perfectly content now. He was lying on his bed with his arms crossed behind his head and a small, sated smile on his face. Next to him, Vincent was snuggled close to his side and was sleeping peacefully. The older man smiled fondly at his boyfriend, as he caressed his bare shoulder.

Around them, the room clearly showed what they had been up to during the past day and a half or so. There were clothes strewn about left and right, empty beer bottles that certainly quenched one of his thirsts, dishes with cake crumbs and many other objects they had used for their… activities.

This year, his birthday celebrations started on the twenty-third, in the late morning. Jean-Pierre was expecting it, but it was a welcomed surprise. He was busy making lunch, (poutine at that because poutine was amazing and he made the best, hands down), when the front door clicked open.

Jean-Pierre was quite pleased to see Vincent (for one of the rare times) and jogged up to greet him. They hadn't seen each other in well over three weeks and in retrospect, he missed his lover.

They walked to the kitchen and Jean-Pierre made believe he didn't see Vincent put a bag by his bedroom. He would ask questions later. Once lunch was ready, Jean-Pierre set two dishes on the table and they ate in relative peace.

The two exchanged facts of what happened over the last three weeks, because even though they called each other, it wasn't the same as being right in front of one another.

It was much later things took an interesting twist. Vincent took a bite, but a bit of sauce dribbled down on his chin. The younger man didn't seem to notice, and it drove Jean-Pierre insane, until he leaned over and licked the sauce away. Vincent then grabbed at his shirt and pulled him close for a sloppy kiss.

They ended up using the rest of the poutine sauce for recreational purposes.

Jean-Pierre never knew, until then, that his partner could be so… flexible. It was testimony to their long time apart that caused them to be a tad more brusque than usual. Then, they made their way to the bedroom and only stopped once on the way there, because Jean-Pierre wanted to show Vincent a lesson or two on how to properly clean remains of sauce away from hard to reach places.

Vincent brought up his bag he had left by the door along with him. Jean-Pierre finally found out what was in the bag and he also learnt Vincent wasn't as innocent as others thought him to be, when it came to bedroom activities and that he had packed quite the pleasurable picnic in his little bag of surprises.

Vincent first proposed they relive some key points in their history and they used some elements of costume from the bag as props. There was a game of Indians vs. Colonists, English vs. French, Leafs vs. Habs and so on and so forth. It was an afternoon of giving and receiving and Jean-Pierre had been on both ends, more than once.

The pièce de résistance came hours after the sun started going down. Vincent excused himself from the bedroom for a moment and returned to the entrance to get something. When he came back, he was holding a chocolate cake with a handful of candles on it. There was some singing and some blowing of candles, before they fed each other birthday cake. Jean-Pierre smiled when he saw it was exactly 12:00am. He had turned 402.

A little while later, in the early morning or late evening, as they were catching their breaths or simply enjoying the close proximity of each other, (he couldn't really recall at this point), he reached over to his night table and pulled out a joint and a lighter. He barely took a puff out of it, that Vincent complained about the smell and pried it out of his hands.

Jean-Pierre wanted to protest he had paid good money for that, but then his lover took one puff from it and even though he coughed loudly, it turned him on and he ravaged Vincent without delay; the joint completely forgotten. (Vincent was now thinking of finding other such ways to get him to quit for the last time; even if it meant having to limp for a week.)

At some point or other, they slumbered off around three in the morning. Now, after he had rested for a few hours, he felt like a king and he was looking forward to the moment when Vincent would wake up. After all, today was his actual birthday. He was convinced Vincent had something planned for the two of them. Lucky for him, it wasn't long, before Vincent blinked his eyes open.

"Bon matin."/ _"Good morning."_ He told him with a smile. The younger man looked up at him and returned the smile as well.

"Bonne fête, Jean."/ _"Happy birthday, Jean."_ He whispered to him, as he stretched luxuriously, crawling closer and claiming his lips for a kiss.

"Merci bien."/ _"Thank you." _Vincent said nothing and simply pressed himself to Jean-Pierre's side.

"J'ai pensé, pour ton cadeau…"/ _"I thought for your present…"_

"Oui?"/ _"Yes?" _Jean-Pierre asked intrigued. Vincent smirked.

"Et si tu me montrais ce que tu ferais si tu devenais indépendant? Tu sais, le pouvoir que tu aurais, la manière que tu dirigerais… je veux que tu me montres tout ça, à moi."/ _"And what if you would show me what you would do if you became independent? You know, the power you would have, the way you would lead… I want you to show me all of that, to me."_ Jean-Pierre looked at Vincent who gave him a coy smile and he was out of his bed in record time.

"Donne moi trente secondes."/ _"Give me thirty seconds."_ Vincent giggled to himself and watched him leave. He returned almost as quickly as he had left and this time, he had his own flag draped around his shoulders and a predatory smirk gracing his lips. Jean-Pierre took three long strides and in a matter of moments, he was on top of Vincent, with his knees bent on either side of the shorter man so as to not crush him. The flag pooled around them in a way that created a blue shadow of some sorts.

"Avec ou sans menottes?"/ _"With or without handcuffs?" _Jean-Pierre whispered in Vincent's ear in a way that sent shivers down his spine. The younger man looked into his eyes and saw the underlined lust that was present and that made the blue of his irises that much more pronounced.

"Et si on essayait avec?"/ _"And what if we tried with?" _Jean-Pierre's smirk only grew wider.

**OWARI 4**

**Happy birthday, kid! Have a beer on me and have one hell of a night!**

**I do accept anonymous reviews.**

**Started writing: June 24****th**** 2010, 5:15pm**

**Finished writing: June 24****th**** 2010, 8:24pm**

**Started typing: June 24****th**** 2010, 8:52pm**

**Finished typing: June 24****th**** 2010, 9:47pm**


	5. Unexpected

**Under Different Circumstances**

**Unexpected**

**Well, since my internet was not working and I decided I had done enough camp things that I could take a bit of time off, I typed up the next thing on the list; this.**

**Disclaimer: PARTY EXPERT IS AWESOME. TIME GOES BY TOO QUICKLY!**

**Rating: K+**

Under Different Circumstances

Unexpected

Jean-Pierre was in a particularly bad mood. Well, not so much as a bad mood, more as to that he was upset and lonely. Maybe he was in a bad mood after all, who knew? He got in a fight with his younger brother, John, over the ownership of the family dog, Labrador, yet again. This was a usual occurrence within the family and by now, everyone was used to it, but he never came to terms with it.

John got the dog a few years back and swore to take care of her day in and day out. That lasted a whole of ten days, before the young boy realised taking care of a dog was much more than "play fetch" and giving the animal "belly rubs".

More than once, Jean-Pierre found Labrador in his backyard and he took care of her too often to make statistics out of it. He didn't mind taking care of the fury family member; in fact, he loved dogs and animals in general and always wanted one of his own, but limited funds disallowed him from being able to make the acquisition.

Labrador had been with him for the past month and he seriously thought he would finally get to keep the dog, but then his brother came and took Labrador back with him. And that was why he was in a current bad mood. He was sulking on his couch with his arms crossed and staring blankly at the television that wasn't turned on. He was in his own little world and did not want to be bothered, but naturally, his lover decided that now of all times would be a good time to drop by for a visit.

"Anyone home?" Vincent called, as he used the keys Jean-Pierre gave him a while back to let himself in. Jean-Pierre chose not to answer.

"Jean? Hello?" Vincent dropped the keys by the ashtray-turned-key-holder on the little table, by the entrance, and walked inside. He found the other man brooding on the couch and sighed.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Jean-Pierre looked at him, looked away and then answered.

"Rien."/ _"Nothing."_

"Bullshit, what's wrong?" Vincent asked, as he pushed his legs off the sofa and cuddled up to him. Jean-Pierre avoided Vincent's eyes and looked at a forgotten dog toy on his living room carpet. Vincent followed his gaze and his own eyes widened with understanding. A small smile came to his face.

"How about we go for a ride? There's something I want to show you." Jean-Pierre glared at him and Vincent sighed again.

"Allez, viens, you'll like this."/_ "Come on…"_ He got up and grabbed the other's arm. He pulled him up and Jean-Pierre begrudgingly made his way to the front door.

"On va où?"/ _"Where are we going?" _He asked, scowl ever present.

"Tu vas voir."/_"You'll see."_ Jean-Pierre said nothing and followed his lover out of the house. They walked to Vincent's car and got in. While he drove away, Jean-Pierre observed the scenery. It was about the only interesting thing he could do.

The ride wasn't very long and about halfway to their destination, Vincent gave the older man a blindfold with the instructions of putting it on, since he wanted to keep the location as secret as possible. Jean-Pierre rolled his eyes at that, but he took the cloth and tied it around his head.

Vincent guided him to the entrance, when they were there and he could tell Jean-Pierre's curiosity was quickly replacing his previous foul mood. They got to the store in question in a couple of minutes and once they were in front of the particular aisle Vincent wanted, the blindfold was removed. Jean-Pierre's reaction was exactly what he hoped for.

"Un pet shop? Mais pourquoi?"/ _"A pet shop? But why?"_

"Choisi toi un chien, j'te l'offre."/_"Choose yourself a dog, my treat."_ Jean-Pierre's eyes widened with shock.

"Pour vrai? Mais, comment ça?"/ _"For real? But how come?"_

"C't'un cadeau. Choose one, while I go and get the other things, okay?"/ _"It's a gift…"_ Vincent caressed Jean-Pierre's cheek, who still looked stunned beyond words, before heading off into a different part of the store.

Jean-Pierre, on the other hand, finally managed to get over his stupor and looked at the puppies in front of him. There were many different types and they all looked so adorable. By the time Vincent returned, he still hadn't made up his mind.

"C'est pour quand tu veux, han."/ _"Whenever you're ready."_ Jean-Pierre glared at him, but it lacked its usual menace. He was too happy to be mad.

"J'pense j'ai décidé, là."/ _"I think I've decided."_

"Lequel?"/ _"Which one?"_

"Le p'tit blanc caramel, lui-là, celui qui nous regarde depuis tantôt, yé trop cute!"/_"The little white caramel one, that one, the one that's been looking at us since before, he's too cute!"_ Jean-Pierre said as he pointed excitedly to the puppy in question. Vincent chuckled, as he waved over one of the girls who worked there and told her which dog they wanted. The young woman nodded and went to get the puppy. Once she was gone, Jean-Pierre turned to face Vincent and hugged him tightly.

"Merci énormément, Vincent!"/_ "Thank you so much, Vincent!"_

"It's nothing, really." He told him, returning the hug. "As-tu pensé à un nom?"/ _"Did you think of a name?"_ The older man paused to think.

"J'avais pensé à Maurice ou Jacques, mais y'a pas une face de Maurice ou Jacques."/ _"I thought of Maurice or Jacques, but he doesn't have a Maurice or Jacques face." _Vincent scrunched up his nose at the mention of the names.

"Eum… pourquoi pas quelque chose de plus censée comme Milo, ou Pantoufle, ou Bandit même?"/ "_Euh… why not something better like Milo, or Pantoufle, or Bandit?" _Jean-Pierre seemed to be in his own little world and wasn't really listening.

"Ah, je sais! Monsieur, c'est le nom parfait!"/ "_Ah I know! Monsieur, it's the perfect name!" _Vincent hit his forehead with his palm.

"T'as des goûts étranges, tu sais?"/ _"You have weird tastes, you know?"_ Jean-Pierre simply smiled at him as the woman came over with the dog.

"Would you like to keep him with you or shall I put him in the travelling cage?" She asked them.

"Ken I really 'old 'im?" Jean-Pierre asked in his best English possible. The girl nodded and the older of the two men looked as though both Christmas and his birthday were happening at the same time.

"Yes please!" He said. Both the store clerk and Vincent chuckled at Jean-Pierre's enthusiasm, as the puppy was placed in his arms.

"Awwwh yé tu dont ben cute le p'tit chien à Popa. Oui yé cute, oui il l'est."/ _"Aww isn't he cute, Daddy's little puppy. Yes he's cute, yes he is."_ Jean-Pierre brought Monsieur to his face and nuzzled the puppy's nose. In return, his new furry friend licked his nose and Vincent honestly wished he brought a camera with him. It was too adorable.

"Allez là, viens, on va payer. T'auras tout le temps du monde pour spazzer dessus, une fois à la maison."/ _"Come on, let's go pay. You'll have all the time in the world to spazz over him, once we get home." _Vincent took his partner's arm and started walking towards the cash register.

"Awwh, Vincent est juste jaloux que Papa Jean fait des câlins à toi et pas à lui."/ _"Aww, Vincent is just jealous that Daddy Jean is giving you hugs, instead of him."_ Jean-Pierre told Monsieur. "Je crois que Vincent à besoin d'un gros câlin et d'un bisou."/ _"I think Vincent needs a big hug and a kiss."_ Vincent was going to protest and say he was not jealous, but then he found himself with Jean-Pierre giving him a kiss on one cheek and Monsieur licking his other, before his lover pulled him close for a one armed hug.

"J'vais mieux te remercier une fois qu'on sera seul à la maison."/ _"I'll thank you better once we'll be home alone."_ He murmured seductively in his ear, before nibbling on his earlobe. Vincent turned scarlet and tried to push the taller man away.

"Jean! We're in public!" He told him. Jean-Pierre laughed richly and let his arm fall to Vincent's waist, while he held on to Monsieur who was just happy to have a new master.

Once Vincent paid for the dog and the papers were signed, they made their way back to the car and drove to Jean-Pierre's place. The ride was uneventful and Jean-Pierre spent most of his time pointing out different places to Monsieur, who had his little puppy paws on the windowsill and looked out to the moving scenery.

When they got home, Vincent unloaded the stock, while Jean-Pierre busied himself giving Monsieur the grand tour of the apartment. The puppy followed him all over and when Vincent dropped the little bed for him in Jean-Pierre's room, Monsieur ran for it and was out like a light. Both men chuckled at his antics, before Jean-Pierre took Vincent by the hand and led him to the living for some quiet time of their own.

All in all, it turned out to be a pretty good day.

**OWARI 5**

**Finally, I finished this.**

**I do accept anonymous reviews.**

**Started writing: June 10****th**** 2010, 10:32pm**

**Finished writing: June 15****th**** 2010, 5:33pm**

**Started typing: July 18****th**** 2010, 6:36pm**

**Finished typing: July 24****th**** 2010, 9:04am**


	6. Poulet, Poulet

**Under Different Circumstances**

**Poulet, Poulet**

**Title has nothing to do with anything. It's an inside that I'm not explaining.**

**Rating: T to be safe.**

Under Different Circumstances

Poulet, Poulet

Jean-Pierre was driving to his lover's place in Toronto. It was the younger man's birthday and he decided to surprise Vincent with a nice fancy meal at home. He prepared some of the things at his own place and the rest he would finish off at Vincent's place.

Over the last three weeks or so, many changes occurred in both of their lives. Jean-Pierre didn't really like to think about everything that happened, but the magnitude of the events occupied more place than he cared to admit.

After their fight, Vincent then returned to his own place, in Toronto, for a few days, to think things over and during that time, Jean-Pierre quit his old job and decided to put his Masters to good use. He also found himself a nice condo in a more scenic part of town.

When he next saw Vincent, a week or so after the incident, at their father's, Jean-Pierre gave Vincent the update on his life and Vincent was more than pleased. It was this positive change and Jean-Pierre's dejected face, in most parts, that made the younger man forgive him. That and the fact he loved the idiot.

However, even though things picked up from there, Jean-Pierre refused to be intimate with Vincent ever since. It took a full week for him to kiss Vincent anywhere else but on the cheek and even though Vincent tried more than once to initiate something, Jean-Pierre pushed him away saying he couldn't hurt him again.

Vincent told him more than once he forgave him, but the older man stood by his word. Vincent let it be after a while, seeing the cause was lost.

Jean-Pierre shook his head from his thoughts. He didn't like thinking about what happened and it wasn't a good topic to have in mind when one was driving through Torontonian traffic. Despite the fact that what made Toronto great was the 40 000 Montrealers who moved there a while back, Jean-Pierre still couldn't stand this city. Nevertheless, it was Vincent's birthday so he would suck it up and make the effort.

Back in the day, when he had been young, his grandpapa, Francis, taught him many different things. One of them was the secret of using the good old French charm to your advantage, when you had messed up big time; the other was the art of fine cuisine. Jean-Pierre decided to put both of those things to good use tonight.

By the time he reached Vincent's place, it was six thirty in the evening and after quickly unloading the items from the car, Jean-Pierre fished out the spare keys and let himself in. He was expecting to find Vincent on the other side of the door, but instead, he was greeted by silence.

"Y'a quelqu'un? Vincent?"/ _"Someone here? Vincent?" _He dropped his keys on the table and took a step inside. After assuring himself Vincent was not at home, Jean-Pierre walked to the kitchen and set up his things.

He took a good ten minutes to locate everything in the area, before starting the meal. Once the sauce was simmering and the meat was in the oven, he called up his lover to find out where he was. The phone rang four times, before the line picked up.

"_Hello?"_

"Vincent? T'es où?"/ _"Where are you?"_

"_Euh, j'suis au bar avec des amis du bureau, pourquoi?"_/ _"Euh, I'm at the bar with some friends from work, why?"_ Jean-Pierre mentally kicked himself for not checking with Vincent to see if he made plans beforehand.

"Aucune raison, chu chez toi en train de faire à souper, c'est tout."/ _"No reason, I'm at your place making supper, that's all."_ There was a pause on the other side. Jean-Pierre could hear the music playing in the background, as well as the voices of the people who were there with Vincent. If he closed his eyes, he could probably visualize the setting.

"_Donne moi quinze minutes pis j'vais être à la maison."_/ _"Give me fifteen minutes and I'll be home."_ Jean-Pierre smiled.

"Parfait, à tantôt."/ _"Perfect, later then."_ He hung up and returned to his food.

* * *

When Vincent walked into his place, he was immediately greeted by the delightful smell of home cooking. He dumped his bag to the floor, kicked off his shoes and dropped his keys in the bowl set up on the table for just that purpose, before walking to the source of the smell.

In his kitchen, he found Jean-Pierre, who traded his usual jeans and blue shirt for a nice pair of dark gray pants and a light green dress shirt, to which he rolled up the sleeves. Vincent noted Jean-Pierre also put in the effort of actually combing back his hair and tying it up at the back and evening out his stubble, for once. Vincent observed the view for a moment, until he greeted the other man.

"Bonne fête, mon coeur."/ _"Happy birthday, love."_ Jean-Pierre told him, as he walked up to him and wrapped his arms around the shorter man's waist. Vincent got up on his toes to peck him on the lips.

"Merci. Ça sent délicieux et j'ai faim."/ _"Thanks. It smells wonderful and I'm hungry."_ Jean-Pierre smiled and returned to the kitchen, while Vincent went to lean against the adjacent wall.

"J'peux te servir quelque chose à boire?"/ _"Can I serve you something to drink?"_ He asked, as he turned around momentarily, while stirring the sauce.

"Non, ça va, j'vais attendre au souper."/ _"No, it's okay, I'll wait 'til supper."_ The older man nodded and returned to his previous task. They exchanged pleasantries, while the food simmered and cooked and Vincent was pleased with the change of attitude in his boyfriend. It was nice to see Jean-Pierre mellowed out. He wasn't as gruff and his face wasn't set in that permanent scowl he apparently inherited from their English grandfather. Like this, Vincent could see the dormant French charm that had always been present, but hadn't been used in a very long time. Now he loved it.

He offered to help Jean-Pierre once or twice, but the other declined the offer and told him he had everything under control. When the food was ready, Jean-Pierre put everything on the table and then pulled out a seat for him. There was a lone candle lit up and it gave a nice touch to the table.

It was a quaint, intimate dinner, but Vincent loved it. Jean-Pierre made a nice salmon salad as an entrée, which was followed by a lovely dish of lamb drizzled in a smooth and velvety port sauce. There was a side of evergreen vegetables and some mashed potatoes as well. Everything was simply superb and he couldn't quite remember the last time he spent such lovely, quiet time with Jean-Pierre.

During the meal, or at some point during it, somewhere towards the end, Jean-Pierre took Vincent's hand in his own and the two exchanged tender looks. When the food was consumed, the dishes were cleared and placed in the dishwasher, before dessert was taken out and placed in front of the birthday man. It was a splendid raspberry mousse torte, which was both slightly bitter and sweet at the same time.

If Jean-Pierre could cook like this for him every day, he would never complain about anything ever again. The fresh raspberries on top of the torte were tart and juicy, but with the mousse, it only made the dessert even more sensual. They finished off their cake in the living room and when both of Vincent's hands were free, Jean-Pierre took out a little bag, which he presented to his lover.

"What's this?" Vincent was slightly startled by the gesture and not expecting anything.

"Ton cadeau. Allez, ouvre le."/ _"Your gift. __Come on, open it up."_ Vincent gave his lover a look, before taking the bag in his hands and undoing the delicate bow. Inside the bag, he found a long blue box. He took it out and opened it to find a thin, white gold chain with a pendant at the very end. He couldn't help but smile at the familiarity of the design.

"Si tu ne l'aime pas, je peux toujours l'échanger pour quelque chose d'autre. On ira ensemble, si tu veux. Je sais que ce n'est peut-être pas vraiment ton –"/ _"If you don't like it, I can always exchange it for something else. __We can go together, if you want. I know it's maybe not your –"_ Vincent shushed him with a finger to his lips.

"Je l'adore, Jean, elle est parfaite, vraiment."/ _"I love it, Jean, it's perfect, really."_ Jean-Pierre did not look convinced.

"T'es sûr?"/ _"You sure?"_ Vincent smiled.

"Oui, j'en suis certain. Au fait, tu peux me l'attacher, s'il te plait?"/ _"Yes, I'm certain of it. Actually, can you tie it for me, please?"_ He handed the chain to his boyfriend, who took it and gently closed the clasp around his neck. Jean-Pierre watched as the Fleur de Lys pendant fell to rest against Vincent's neck. Because it was a very small pendant, it didn't look tacky or tasteless.

Vincent took it in his hand and brushed his fingers over the smooth surface, before smiling up at Jean-Pierre. They sat together side by side for a while longer with Vincent snuggled close to him and Jean-Pierre stroked Vincent's back. They exchanged a few languid kisses for a moment longer, before Vincent stopped and gently pushed him away.

"Je peux te demander une faveur?"/ _"Can I ask you a favour?" _The older man kissed the side of his mouth and nodded his head.

"Ce que tu veux, mon cœur."/ _"Whatever you want, love."_ He murmured against Vincent's skin.

"Je veux… je veux que tu me fasses l'amour comme autrefois, s'il te plait."/ _"I want… I want you to make love to me like before, please."_ Vincent was expecting him to react in many different ways. However, he didn't think Jean-Pierre's eyes would widen with fear and that he would physically distance himself from him. Vincent frowned; why he had to be so stubborn was beyond him.

Jean-Pierre shook his head vigorously, as he tried to find his voice again. As much as he wanted to, he felt as though he wasn't even worthy of Vincent's affections after the incident. It was dumb, but he still felt dirty and he didn't want to soil him or break his heart again.

"Jean… s'il te plait. Je t'ai pardonné pour l'incident et je t'aime. Ça fait longtemps qu'on l'a pas fait et franchement, te voir habillé de même, ça me rend fou."/ _"Jean… please. __I forgave you for the incident and I love you. It's been a long time since we've last done it and frankly, seeing you dressed this way, makes me crazy."_ Vincent closed the distance Jean-Pierre had put between them and straddled his waist.

Jean-Pierre could see the want in Vincent's eyes and he could feel his own desire growing. And yet, he still couldn't bring himself to it.

"J'peux pas, je t'ai brisé le cœur… j'te mérite pas…"/ _"I can't, I broke your heart… I don't deserve you…"_ The elder of the two put his head in his hands and looked away from his partner. Vincent sighed to himself. He knew in cases such as these, that he had to use desperate measures, or just one that would get him what he wanted.

He shifted slightly, until he was almost sitting on Jean-Pierre's lap and then he made sure he was seated there. He placed his knees on either side of Jean-Pierre's body and pressed himself as close to him as physically possible. He then placed his partner's arms around his waist and his own arms around the taller man's broad shoulders.

"Tu sens ça? C'est moi qui te veux. I'm fed up of using my left arm, si tu catch mon drift. J'veux que tu me fasses jouir."/ _"Feel that? That's me who wants you. I'm fed up of using my left arm, if you catch my drift. I want you to make me scream."_ To add emphasis to his words, Vincent ground their hips together and he tried his best not to moan. Goodness, it had been far too long.

If anything, the movement caught Jean-Pierre's attention and his arms tightened ever so slightly around his waist, as he brought Vincent closer still, even if it was just for a brief moment.

"Tu ne voudrais quand même pas me laisser me débarrasser de ça par moi-même le jour de mon anniversaire, hmm?"/ _"You wouldn't want me to get rid of this on my own the day of my birthday, hmm?"_ Vincent murmured huskily in Jean-Pierre's ear. The younger man knew he was almost there, that Jean-Pierre's resolve was slowly crumbling and before long, his boyfriend would have him on his back panting. He shivered at the mere thought.

Vincent observed him closely and noted with satisfaction how Jean-Pierre's eyes darkened just so. His boyfriend smirked even more and passed his hands under Vincent's shirt to feel the skin that was there.

"Non, c'est vrai que ça serait dommage. Maintenant que j'y pense, je crois peut-être avoir une solution au problème…"_"No, you're right, it would be a shame. Now that I think about it, I think I might have a solution to the problem…"_

"Dans ce cas, lead the way."/ _"In that case, lead the way."_ Jean-Pierre nodded and picked him up, before making his way to Vincent's room. They only stopped, once, on the way there, long enough for them to remove their shirts. Even though Vincent loved the way Jean-Pierre dressed, and though part of him wished he would have taken a picture earlier, it felt good to see that hair fall loose from the hair band that held it in place, all evening long, and it was wonderful to feel the contact of skin against skin, after such a long time.

When they reached the bedroom, Jean-Pierre gently laid him down on the mattress, before crawling over him and claiming his lips with his own.

From there, it was nothing but languid kisses placed here and there, which made Vincent squirm wanting more, and caresses that were gentle yet sensual. Jean-Pierre knew each of Vincent's sensitive spots and he made sure to give each of them special attention, while assuring himself Vincent was in heaven.

Somewhere along the line, Vincent came to the realisation that everything Jean-Pierre was doing, from the way he angled himself, the fleeting touches here and there, the way he was making sure his every need was met and pleased, he realised Jean-Pierre was truly only doing this for him. His partner had put him as top priority, only taking care of Vincent's needs and not his own.

As the events of the past few hours replayed in his mind, he realised just how much more attentive Jean-Pierre was and he was not only incredibly touched by the gesture, but he was also overcome with emotion.

"Jean, je t'aime."/ _"Jean, I love you."_ He managed to whisper.

* * *

As they regained their breaths, Jean-Pierre pulled the bed sheet over them and Vincent cuddled close. They remained silent for a while longer, until Vincent spoke at last.

"Au fait, merci pour tout ce soir. C'était simplement… wow. Mais, j'aurais une dernière petite faveur, si tu veux bien."/ _"Actually, thanks for everything you did tonight. __It was simply… wow. But, I have one last favour, if you want."_

"C'que tu veux."/_ "Whatever you want."_ He murmured in the other's ear, before nibbling on the lobe.

"J'apprécie tout ce que tu fais pour moi et je suis vraiment content que tu ailles repris ta vie en main, mais ça ne veut pas dire que tu dois changer ta personnalité. J'apprécie les petites attentions et le fait que tu sois moins frustré tout le temps, but I fell in love with your faults as well. Nobody's perfect, chéri, and I don't want you to be someone you're not."/ _"I appreciate everything you've done for me and I'm really happy you've taken your life back in your hands, but it doesn't mean you have to change your personality. I appreciate the small attentions you give me and the fact that you're less of a grouch..."_ Vincent caressed Jean-Pierre's cheek, who took the other's hand and pressed an open mouthed kiss to his knuckles.

"Qu'est-ce que tu veux dire par ça?"/ _"What do you mean by that?"_

"Que j'aime ton p'tit côté macho et tes grands airs. Que juste parce que tu as fait des grands changements dans ta vie, ça ne veut pas dire que tu dois devenir un homme parfait."/ _"That I like your little macho side and your big words. That just because you've made some big changes in your life, you don't have to become a perfect man."_ Vincent paused searching for his words.

"It's hard to explain. I don't know if you get what I'm trying to say." Jean-Pierre pulled him close for a tight hug and kissed his chin.

"T'inquiètes, je crois avoir compris le gros du message. J't'aime, Vincent, bonne fête."/ _"Don't worry; I think I got the gist of your message. I love you, Vincent, happy birthday."_

**OWARI 6**

**I do accept anonymous reviews.**

**Started writing: August 10****th**** 2010, 5:54pm**

**Finished writing: August 25****th**** 2010, 5:52pm**

**Started typing: August 26****th**** 2010, 2:09pm**

**Finished typing: August 26****th**** 2010, 8:36pm**


	7. La Belle Province

**Under Different Circumstances**

**La Belle Province**

**It's true! It's one of the nicknames they give to Québec. **

**Disclaimer: No joke, if you type Quétario on the web, you get stuff that's related to newspaper articles dating to 2007. The world has been shipping this since before I thought of it; it's a fact! XD**

Under Different Circumstances

La Belle Province

Vincent slowly woke up to find sunshine filtering through the partially closed curtains. He stretched luxuriously under the covers and turned around to have a better view of his surroundings. There were clothes strewn left and right about the room and it caused him to smile, as he recalled the events of the previous night.

As he finished turning around, he came face to face with the rather nude form of his aleeping boyfriend. Whereas he had stayed under the bed sheets, Jean-Pierre had subconsciously removed them during his slumber and they pooled at the base of his feet.

He allowed himself a moment to observe his slumbering lover, as the morning light continued growing. Vincent liked the way the light accentuated his partner's blonde highlights in his hair. He smiled to himself, as he brought a hand to caress the silky hair he liked so much.

No matter in what state it was, Jean-Pierre's hair was always soft and silky to the touch. He asked him many times what his secret was and he never found out. Jean-Pierre always told him it was something between him and Francis. Vincent tried to get his hair to be as smooth, but it was never like Jean-Pierre's. He supposed it made it that much more special.

Vincent combed his hand through it for a moment longer, before bringing his fingers down to Jean-Pierre's brows and then to his eyelids; blue eyes that were now closed, but held the depths of his soul; eyes that would lighten with mirth or darken with lust; eyes as expressive as his voice.

His fingers continued their voyage downwards and traced the way Jean-Pierre's nose turned slightly upwards. He felt each exhale of breath and observed the rise and fall of his chest momentarily, before letting his fingers fall.

They rested upon Jean-Pierre's lips and hovered over them for a moment. Vincent never thought his lips would be as soft as they were. He liked the way they fit with his, the way Jean-Pierre would lick them after every kiss… He had to resist the urge of kissing them, in fear of rousing the older man.

He liked Jean-Pierre's voice, for it had many ranges. Even though it was deep and gruff most of the time, Vincent felt privileged he also heard him speak softly, on the rare occasion. Jean-Pierre also had a booming laugh that was deep and rich.

The voyage continued and Vincent's fingers felt the strong jaw of his lover. He felt one side, then the other and brushed up against the hairs on his chin. He remembered when Jean-Pierre let it grow in, so many years back.

As his fingers went on his neck, he toyed momentarily with the chain that had always been there. It had been a gift from Francis, when the older man first met up with the then young Jean-Pierre. It was a gold chain with a small cross dangling from it. Vincent couldn't remember ever seeing him without it; even during his rebellious years it was always there, for some reason.

He let the pendant rest and felt the regular heartbeat of Jean-Pierre's heart and he let his hand trail up to one of the shoulders. Jean-Pierre had strong arms and big hands that were calloused from many years of lumbering. His arms were covered with light brown hair and his left arm had a small scar, from one too many tree falls, while his hand had a long scar he still didn't know how it got there. Yet, he loved them all; the scars, the muscles, the occasional beauty spot, the sun kissed freckled skin… If he closed his eyes, he could picture the tattoo that was on Jean-Pierre's right shoulder; the blue faded white Fleur-de-Lys that was much like him.

He loved feeling his partner envelop him in a hug; loved how those strong arms would close around him, shielding him from harm, making him feel forever safe; and those hands, always warm, reaching out to him, grasping his own smaller hand, entwining their fingers together.

He watched Jean-Pierre sleep soundly. He was on his right side with his right hand folded at an angle close to his body and the other slightly outstretched. It had probably been draped around his waist at some point during the night. Vincent brushed the knuckles of the left hand with his own before returning upwards to his boyfriend's chest.

He caressed it tenderly, as he felt his muscles beneath the skin. Where Jean-Pierre had a strong build in his arms and legs, Vincent had a stronger core. He supposed it came from the fact he worked out with fitness equipment, whereas his lover kept fit by playing hockey and doing other sports. Vincent had never been the sportive man as much as his lover.

Sure, he enjoyed a good hockey game like pretty much the rest of the family, but other than that, if he did anything else it was for leisure and fitness. He liked to watch Jean-Pierre play, though. There was always a certain animalistic grace about him when he was on a pair of skates and barrelling down with a puck. He supposed it ran in the family.

His hand continued voyaging and caressed a bare thigh. He traced the hamstrings, the muscles of the lower leg and he couldn't help but marvel at how firm Jean-Pierre's legs were. He had been admiring them for a while now. Vincent was mesmerized by them; they were strong and powerful.

He watched as Jean-Pierre's foot twitched and smiled softly. They were ordinary feet, not too big, not too flat. The toes weren't too long or crooked and they never smelt too bad.

Vincent observed another scar Jean-Pierre had on his foot, for a moment, before bringing his gaze upwards only to stop to admire his manhood. As much as he liked to tease Jean-Pierre about the size of it, he had to say the older man was a fine specimen of the male species and well created. And size wise, just for the record, it wasn't too small, nor too big; just the perfect size for his hands to close around whilst in the throes of passion, or the perfect size to fit inside of him.

His eyes travelled back upwards and came to a stop at Jean-Pierre's resting face, once more. It was nice to see him so at ease and at peace. The scowl was gone from his features and the serene attitude about him, coupled with the sunlight, made him seem even further relaxed. Jean-Pierre truly wore his name well at times like these, la belle province.

Vincent glanced at the clock by the bedside table and noticed it was only nine forty-three am. He figured he could rest a little longer and enjoy the warmth his lover's body provided. He scooted closer to Jean-Pierre, who wrapped an arm around his midriff and pulled him closer. Vincent wondered if he had awakened, but when he turned around, it was to find him still blissfully asleep.

**OWARI 7**

**I do accept anonymous reviews.**

**Started writing: September 3****rd**** 2010, 5:12pm**

**Finished writing: September 3****rd**** 2010, 7:29pm**

**Started typing: September 10****th**** 2010, 12:11pm**

**Finished typing: September 10****th**** 2010, 1:02pm**


	8. Industrial Design

**Under Different Circumstances  
****Industrial Design**

**Disclaimer: P. and I were discussing the topic. I was for it and she wasn't. I purely wrote this to satisfy my little fangirl needs and Vincent seemed to agree with me on this one. A onetime thing, though.**

Under Different Circumstances

Industrial Design

Jean-Pierre was busy doing some well needed cleaning through his stuff. It amazed him how much junk he accumulated through the years and now that he had a moment to sort through it, he was taking the time to put things away and discard what was not needed, in order to air out his life a little.

It was while he was going through an old box filled with clothes that he found it. It was a small bar of metal of about an inch long, placed in a small grey box. He almost forgot this box existed, but now that he found it, he recalled it with ease.

When he was going through his rebellious phase, he did and tried many different things to try to achieve his independence. While some ideas started good and while some others, he sincerely regretted doing, the fact remained that he did some wild things, back in the day.

From growing out his hair, to affirming himself to his father, he got a tattoo and a few piercings to go with his new look, as well. Over the years, most of the holes closed, since he stopped wearing them, as he cleaned up his act, after a few heated discussions with his father. However, there was always one hole that remained open, and that was the "industrial" piercing.

Out of curiosity, Jean-Pierre took the earring in his hand and walked up to his mirror. He fumbled a bit with the item, but after pushing it in a few times, the bar slid through one side and out the other. He looked himself over, after closing it and had to admit he still liked the way he looked with it, even if it didn't necessarily go with his "style". Satisfied with everything, he put the box away and resumed his cleaning.

* * *

It was perhaps some two hours later and Jean-Pierre had accumulated a lot of garbage. He had two big, black bags filled with trash and one bag filled with things he could give out to the needy. He wasn't done yet, but it was a good start. Already, he could breathe a tad more. He was about to pull down another box and start rummaging through it, when he heard his front door open. There were only two people in the world that had a key to his place, other than himself.

The first of those two people was his father and he knew his old man always knocked and waited for him to answer the door, before walking in. The second person, who acquired a key recently, was his lover and Vincent always let himself, in no matter the time or the day. Sometimes, he wondered what ever possessed him to give him a key in the first place.

"Jean, t'es là?"/ _"Jean, you there?"_ He heard him ask.

"Chu dans chambre."/ _"I'm in my room."_ He hollered. He heard the keys falling in the ashtray-turned-key-holder, followed by the sound of Vincent removing his shoes. There was a moment of silence, before approaching footsteps resonated through the corridor signalling to him Vincent was there. He raised his head just in time to see the shorter man walk in his room.

"Salut beauté."/ _"Hello beautiful."_ The older of the two said, from his spot on the floor.

"Hi yourself. Qu'est-c'que tu fais au juste?"/ _"What exactly are you doing?" _Vincent asked, as he plopped down beside Jean-Pierre.

"Du ménage. Qu'éssé j'ai d'l'air de faire d'après toi?"/ _"Cleaning. What does it look like I'm doing?" _Jean-Pierre looked at him for a moment and then went back to sorting things into piles.

"Avec toi, on n'sait jamais. As-tu besoin d'aide?"/ _"With you, we never know. Do you need any help?" _

"Non, ça va aller, j'achève."/ _"No, it's okay, I'm almost done."_ The younger man said nothing and was silent, as he observed his boyfriend put things in a box and then walk around the room, as he put them away. At some point or another, Monsieur walked in and came to greet Vincent. He was glad to see the puppy was doing fine and growing at a steady pace.

It was perhaps fifteen minutes later Vincent noticed the difference he hadn't seen earlier. It came when Jean-Pierre grabbed a hair tie from the night table and used it to tie up most of his hair. The sunlight streaming through the room caught something close to his head and made whatever it was glisten.

Intrigued, Vincent got up and walked up to his lover, intending to find out exactly what it was. He pushed back the hair that was covering Jean-Pierre's right ear and even though he protested, Vincent ignored it and came face to face with the earring.

A semi uncomfortable silence fell about the room.

"Y rentre encore?!"/ _"It still fits?!" _He finally said, disbelief evident in his voice.

"Apparemment… j'lai retrouvé t'a l'heure, pis j'voulais voir ç'avait d'l'air de quoi."/ _"Apparently… I found it earlier and I wanted to see what it looked like."_ Jean-Pierre observed Vincent for any sort of violent reaction but it never came.

"Tu sais, j'trouvais que t'avais l'air pas mal d'un idiot quand tu te l'es fait faire, ya longtemps… mais là…"/ _"You know, I thought you looked like a real idiot when you got it done, way back then… but now…"_ Vincent trailed off, wrapping an arm around his partner's neck and brushing his finger against the cool metal.

"Mais là…?"/ _"But now…?" _Jean-Pierre leaned against the wall and made sure Vincent's body was resting against his.

"Mais là, je trouve que ça te donnes un p'tit air rebelle, j'aime."/ _"But now, I find it gives you a little rebellious air, I like."_ He whispered to the taller man.

"Rebelle, tu dis?"/ _"Rebel, you say?" _Jean-Pierre quirked an eyebrow, as his hands came to rest on Vincent's waist.

"Oui, rebelle, mais un bon rebelle."/ _"Yes, rebel, but a good rebel."_ They exchanged a kiss, followed by a smile.

"J'peux être très rebelle si tu veux."/ _"I can be very rebellious if you want."_ Jean-Pierre moved them about the room, until they were standing at the edge of the bed.

"J'aimerais rien de mieux."/ _"I would like nothing more."_ Their lips met again, this time for longer.

"C'est l'industrielle, non?"/ _"It's the industrial one, no?" _Vincent asked, as he broke the kiss and his lover murmured the response against his skin, sending shivers down his spine.

"Oui, et tu sais pourquoi il s'appelle ainsi?"/ _"Yes, and you know why it's called that?"_ Vincent found he could only shake his head, as Jean-Pierre laid him down on the mattress and started unbuttoning his shirt.

"À cause d'la révolution; beaucoup de rebelles."/ _"Because of the revolution; lots of rebels."_ It was the final coherent thing that was said, as fierce blue eyes met with violet and Vincent found out just how much of that rebellious spirit still lived in Jean-Pierre. He couldn't say he really minded.

**OWARI 8**

**I do accept anonymous reviews.**

**Started writing: September 12****th**** 2010, 11:32pm**

**Finished writing: September 15****th**** 2010, 12:57am**

**Started typing: September 28****th**** 2010, 2:46pm**

**Finished writing: September 28****th**** 2010, 3:41pm**


	9. Under the Same Sky

**Under Different Circumstances**

**Under the Same Sky**

**Inspired by the moon this summer.**

**Disclaimer: HOMEWORK IS EVIL AND KILLS MUSES.**

Under Different Circumstances

Under the Same Sky

Jean-Pierre was in a particularly bad mood. He had to return to his office job, which he hated, and that meant he had to deal with the everyday bullshit of the political leaders of his province. On top of that, Vincent had to stay at his own place in Toronto for a bit, while he had to go back to his own home in Montréal.

As much as he loved complaining he hated staying at his boyfriend's and as much as he was always going on about how nice it was to spend some alone time, the fact remained he always looked forward to getting home (be it his or Vincent's) to be greeted by the younger man. At least nowadays. However, it was already four days this was going on and the politics, on top of his lover's absence were starting to get to him.

Even though he was supposed to be working on a report, his boss asked him to hand in for the following morning, Jean-Pierre found his attention falling to more pleasant thoughts that somehow or other all involved his boyfriend. When it got to the point where he actually doodled a little heart on his paper, he figured it was high time for a break. This was getting ridiculous.

He would have taken Monsieur out for a walk, but seeing as he had already done so earlier and since the puppy was sleeping peacefully, Jean-Pierre let him be and left for a walk of his own. Perhaps the end of summer air would do him some good.

He didn't have a particular direction in mind so he just went where his feet led him. He took as many quiet roads as possible and started to wish he still lived in his beloved wooden cabin from the early days.

As much as he liked the city, he was a nature boy at heart and he oftentimes found himself missing the tranquility the forest had offered him as a child. Even though he moved out from his downtown apartment and his new condo was in a less crowded area, it wasn't as quiet as he would have liked it.

Sighing to himself, he put his hands in his pockets and pulled out a cigarette. As much as he was trying to kick back his old vice, the situation called for it and he figured smoking one cigarette every now and again wouldn't do any harm. It was either that or going out for a few drinks at the local strip joint, or just simply smoking a joint.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending of people's perspective, he was in a relationship with Vincent and he didn't feel like having a repeat of the last time he was caught smoking weed. Jean-Pierre shook his head as he exhaled the familiar tasting smoke; they acted like an old married couple.

He continued smoking his very innocent cigarette, as he made his way to the park near his place. Night time was quickly falling around him and it was getting progressively chilly. He didn't mind though; he had his sweater with him and he rather liked the brisk end of summer nights. Autumn had always been one of his favourite seasons, for some odd reason.

When he finally got to the park, his cigarette was nothing but a small butt and he made sure to properly dispose of it, before making his way to his favourite spot in the park. It was partially secluded from the rest of the park, since it had a few trees surrounding it, which created some sort of intimacy for whoever went there.

He sat down on the floor, before lying down and looking up at the night sky. He could see a few stars twinkling merrily at him and it wasn't long, before he spotted the moon; it took his breath away. It was so bright and there was hardly a cloud in the sky, which only made it seem to contrast more with the dark mauve of the sky.

He was struck with the intense feeling of wanting to talk to his lover. He reached out for his cell phone and composed the familiar number. Vincent's cell phone rang twice, before it was picked up. Jean-Pierre's heart sped up faster at the sound of the other man's voice.

"_Hello?"_

"Vincent?" He always asked. Even when he knew it was his partner; it was a default setting of his.

"_Jean?! Hey, ça va?"_/_ "Jean?! __Hey, how are you?" _He closed his eyes and could easily picture the other man in his head.

"Ouais, maintenant ça va, j'm'ennuyais."/ _"Yeah, now I'm okay, I missed you."_ He could hear the fond smile in Vincent's voice.

"_Moi aussi, que fais-tu de bon?"_/ _"Same, what are you doing?"_

"J'pensais à toi. Tu devrais aller dehors et regarder le ciel. La lune est belle à soir."/ _"I was thinking of you. You should go outside and look at the sky. The moon is nice tonight." _He heard Vincent chuckle.

"_J'suis déjà dehors."_/ _"I'm already outside."_ He smiled at that.

"Té tu couché à terre aussi?"/ _"Are you lying down as well?"_

"_Sois tu vois à travers ton téléphone, ou tu me connais trop bien."_/ _"You can either see through your telephone, or you know me too well."_ Jean-Pierre laughed, as he peeled off his shoes and socks and brushed the sole of his feet against the soft grass. He loved the feel of the blades of grass under his feet.

"J'aurais aimé que tu sois ici avec moi."/ _"I would have liked you to be here with me."_ He told Vincent. How he would have loved to be doing the same thing, but with his lover cuddled next to him, or something of similar effect.

"_Moi aussi. J'pense je vais pouvoir descendre la fin de semaine prochaine."_/ _"Me too. I think I'll be able to come down next weekend."_ Jean-Pierre frowned at that. It was far away.

"J'veux essayer quelque chose avec toi."/ _"I want to try something with you."_ He said instead.

"_Oui?"_/ _"Yes?"_

"Ferme les yeux et garde ton cell proche de toi. J'vais faire la même chose, oké?"/ _"Close your eyes and keep your cell next to you. I'll do the same thing, okay?"_ His boyfriend agreed and he followed his own instructions. He kept his phone close to his ear and outstretched his other arm. With his eyes closed and the sounds from the environment Vincent was in, mixing with what he was hearing on his end; they blended well together and with the knowledge Vincent was closer than he had been before, he felt at peace.

"_Jean, t'es encore là?"_/ _"Jean, are you still there?"_ He blinked a few times, as he focused on his lover's voice which was close to him, but still far away.

"Ouais."/_"Yeah."_

"_J'taime."_/_"I love you."_ He couldn't help but smile. It never got old hearing those words.

"Moi aussi j't'aime, Vincent. Reste encore un peu?"/ _"Love you too, Vincent. Stay a little longer?" _Vincent agreed and they both returned to their small fantasy world, where the moon shone the same light on them, even if they were apart and there was something special in that. It was comforting and it eased his mind knowing even though they were physically apart, there were still ways in which they were together.

**OWARI **

**I do accept anonymous reviews.**

**Started writing: September 25****th**** 2010, 8:43pm**

**Finished writing: September 25****th**** 2010, 10:17pm**

**Started typing: October 17****th**** 2010, 8:01pm**

**Finished typing: October 17****th**** 2010, 9:30pm**


	10. Don't Go

**Under Different Circumstances**

**Don't Go**

**Disclaimer: KJEFN ERHJ**

Under Different Circumstances

Don't Go

Jean-Pierre sighed, as he woke up that morning. His lover was clinging to him and he was seriously hoping he could make things as easy as possible for the both of them, but with Vincent's arms wrapped tightly around his midriff, this would be difficult. He sighed again.

He found out, a while back, the company he worked for was sending him on a business trip in Sweden, for two weeks. He was enthralled at the prospect of traveling and even happier when his boss told him he could bring someone along with him.

After he told his other boss (the unfortunate man who helped him lead his province, God how he hated politics) and "le mouton" (that's what he and Vincent called him), said he could take the time off, Jean-Pierre told Vincent the good news and they were both looking forward to the little trip. However, Vincent's boss wasn't as lenient about the time off and with a last minute, emergency, four day convention of some sorts that was sprung on him; he wasn't able to go.

It was the day of Jean-Pierre's departure and a day that would prove to be emotionally draining. Surprisingly, or maybe not that much so, Vincent wasn't in that much of a good mood, ever since he was told he couldn't leave with Jean-Pierre. The other man tried making jokes about Swedish girls and boys, but when he saw those tears glistening in his partner's eyes, he stopped with the comments and assured Vincent he was the only one for him.

Vincent offered to drive Jean-Pierre to the airport and he accepted. However, his intention always was to leave quietly, while Vincent was still sleeping and slip out of the house, avoiding having to say goodbye. He hated goodbyes. Always had and still did. He didn't tell Vincent and he would have picked up and left, but he became extremely clingy somewhere during the night.

Even when they were younger, whenever Vincent would feel distressed, he would always go looking for the extra hug or comforting embrace. Jean-Pierre could remember countless nights from his childhood, when their father had to sleep in their bedroom, because Vincent wouldn't let go of Matthew's nightshirt.

Jean-Pierre thought after last night, his lover would have been too numb to revert to his clinginess, but apparently, it was not the case. He made sure every one of Vincent's needs were filled during the night, assuring him both mentally and physically he would return. In exchange, Vincent showed exactly what it was he would be missing for two weeks. Now he wanted to get up and leave, but he couldn't.

He tried to pry Vincent's hands away from his body and even though he tried to be gentle, by the time he thought he succeeded, Vincent turned over and furrowed his head in the crook of his neck mumbling something. He waited a moment.

"Vincent?" He was hoping not to get an answer, but instead, his partner's arms only tightened back their hold around him.

"Jean… you weren't leaving?" He sighed. So much for that plan.

"Non, j'm'en allais me doucher, veux-tu venir?"/ _"No, I was going to take a shower, d'you want to come?"_ He waited as Vincent nodded and he then headed for the bathroom. At this point, they took their time with everything, enjoying their last moments together, languid kisses here and there, a little quick exchange of love, before having breakfast and then it was pretty much time for Jean-Pierre to close up his suitcase and head for the airport.

When Vincent offered to drive him to the airport, they came to the agreement, or more like, Jean-Pierre convinced him they should keep their displays of affection to a minimum. At first, Vincent accused him of being ashamed of their relationship, but then Jean-Pierre mentioned they would be in a very open area where people from all over the world could see them and not everyone was as open as they sometimes thought.

Whether because he agreed, or whether Vincent simply wanted to avoid a conflict with Jean-Pierre, he agreed and the topic was never brought up afterwards. However, he made it his point to be as affectionate as possible the night before.

When they got to the airport, Jean-Pierre checked in and got rid of his luggage. He then returned to where Vincent was waiting for him. They stood silently, as they looked at each other, for a moment, before coming to the understanding they should go to the gate.

They finally got in line and even got to talking a bit, but it was evident to them there was tension. The line continued to advance and Jean-Pierre tried to get the conversation flowing, to no avail.

"I guess I'll go now… no point in me staying." Vincent finally said. He nodded. He was about to hug him and Vincent even half raised his arms before they stopped.

"Merci."/ _"Thanks."_ He finally said. Vincent nodded, turned around and started walking away. Jean-Pierre watched for a moment and felt the resolve in him slowly crack, before it was finally completely vanished.

"Vincent!" He called back. His lover stopped and slowly turned around to find him with his arms open to the side and a small, half smile on his face. Vincent didn't even need to think twice, before running to him and hugging him tight. He relished the feel of those strong arms around his frame and buried his face in Jean-Pierre's shoulder, taking a deep whiff of the aftershave Jean-Pierre used that morning.

When Jean-Pierre put him down, he looked straight into his eyes, look softening visibly so, before drawing his face close and kissing his lips. Vincent wasn't expecting the gesture, but he welcomed it.

And in that moment, Jean-Pierre did not care they were at the airport. He did not care there was a woman shaking her head, or a man sneering at them. He did not care about the little girl who asked her parents what was going on, he did not care about the young woman who thought it was a very moving scene, he just cared that Vincent was in his arms and he would miss him terribly.

"J't'appelle quand j'arrive."/ _"I'll call you when I get there."_ He murmured, once he pulled away.

"T'es mieux!"/ _"You better!"_ Vincent replied with a small smile.

"Tiens, prends ça et ouvre le quand j'vais être parti, oké?"/ _"Here, take this and open it when I'll be gone, okay?"_ He took the bag he was carrying around with him and handed it to Vincent, who took it with uncertain hands.

"J'dois y aller…"/ _"I have to go." _He trailed off. Goodbyes were always so awkward. Vincent nodded again.

"Sourit un peu, tu vas voir, deux semaines, ça va passer rapidement."/ _"Smile a bit, you'll see, two weeks will go by quickly."_ He quickly kissed him. Vincent gave him a half smile.

"Je t'aime, Vincent."/ _"I love you, Vincent."_ A final kiss.

"Moi aussi."/ _"Me too."_ The murmured reply. Jean-Pierre nodded and left. He gave a final wave, once he got to the gate and Vincent watched, as his boyfriend left. He stood there for a minute longer, before clutching the bag tightly in his hands and walking out.

When he got to his car, he sat down and before he returned home, he opened the bag. In it, he found Jean-Pierre's favourite, well-worn and well-used, blue sweatshirt. Pinned to it was a note written in his hasty scrawl.

"_Vincent,_

_Je te passe ma veste préférée que je sais que t'aimes emprunter de temps à autre (et oui, je connais ton petit secret) comme ça t'auras un petit bout de moi avec toi jusqu'à ce que je revienne. Retourne à la maison et on se voit dans deux semaines._

_Jean."_

"_Vincent,_

_I'm lending you my favourite sweatshirt I know you like borrowing from time to time (yes, I know your little secret) that way you can have a part of me with you, until I come back. Go back home and I'll see you in two weeks._

_Jean."_

Vincent put the note on the passenger side and took out the sweatshirt. He brought it to his face and hummed the odour that was uniquely his lover's. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the moment, for a few seconds, before heading back home.

* * *

He was sitting on his bed, watching some late night program to kill some time, when the phone rang. Vincent picked it up and sat up a little straighter.

"Hello?"

"_Salut mon coeur."_/ _"Hey, love." _He heard his partner say, from the other end of the line. His face lit up with a smile.

"Salut toi même. Tout c'est bien passé?"/ _"Hey yourself. Everything went okay?"_

"_Ouais. C'tait long et chu mort de fatigue, mais tout est correct. __Toi, ça va?"_/ _"Yeah. It was long and I'm dead tired, but everything's okay. __You, everything okay?"_

"Yeah, j'ai rien à faire, mais bon. Et puis, la Suède, c'est comment? T'as fait quoi depuis que t'es arrivé?"/ _"Yeah, I have nothing to do, but oh well. And how's Sweden? What did you do since you got there?"_ He snuggled back down in his bed and pulled the sweatshirt closer to his body. He closed his eyes and imagined he was lying in bed with his lover, just talking as they oftentimes did at night.

"_On a eu une petite visite guidée du coin, avant de manger un peu et ensuite on est rentré à l'hôtel. C'est très beau. Le paysage est superbe. J't'enverrai une photo demain. __Manque juste une chose pour que ça soit parfait."_/ _"We had a small guided tour of the town, before eating a bit and then we went to the hotel. It's really nice. The scenery is superb. I'll send you a picture tomorrow. There's only one thing missing for it to be perfect."_

"Quoi?"/ _"What?"_ He had a feeling he knew the answer, but he played the game.

"_Toi."_/ _"You."_ Vincent couldn't help but smile brightly at that.

"Yé quelle heure là-bas?"/ _"What time is it there?"_ Jean-Pierre paused, as he probably looked at the time and then answered him.

"Qu'est c'que tu fais encore debout?! Va te coucher, y faut que tu dormes un peu, allez, ouste, on s'parlera demain, go!"/ _"What are you doing still up?! Go sleep, you need to sleep a bit, come on, shoo, I'll talk to you tomorrow, go!"_ Jean-Pierre chuckled.

"_Oui Maman. Bonne nuit."_/ _"Yes Mommy. Good night."_

"Bonne nuit, appelle moi demain."/ _"Good night, call me tomorrow."_

"_D'accord, j't'aime."_/ _"Okay, 'love you."_ He never got tired of hearing those words.

"Moi aussi je t'aime."/ _"Love you too."_

**OWARI 10**

**Done mostly because I went away to New York for a weekend a while back.**

**I do accept anonymous reviews.**

**Started writing: September 30****th**** 2010, 10:34pm**

**Finished writing: October 1****st**** 2010, 11:43am**

**Started typing: October 19****th**** 2010, 11:08pm**

**Finished typing: October 19****th**** 2010, 11:59pm**


	11. A Matter of Life

**Under Different Circumstances**

**A Matter of Life**

**Guys, I've been wanting to write this one for AGES. Don't get fooled by the beginning of the chapter. Just, don't. Aha. There are things I want to say, but I don't want to spoil anything. I guess I'll leave those notes for the end.**

**Disclaimer: Be ready!**

**Vivian = Fem!Vincent**

Under Different Circumstances

A Matter of Life

If anyone told him he would be living this, living through this wonderful moment, he wouldn't have believed them. He never thought he could be this happy, that such fortune could befall him and that he was even worthy of such a gift. Whenever he thought about it, he couldn't help but smile, a true and pure smile.

He was going to be a daddy.

He and Vivian were expecting their first child together. He would have never thought it was possible for him to have children and yet, here he was, just a few weeks shy from holding his very own. He couldn't help but be the happiest man alive.

* * *

Every morning, he would wake up and lovingly caress Vivian's stomach for a few minutes. He would rest his head on her bare stomach and murmur loving words to their unborn child, all the while peppering kisses on her belly until Vivian would shoo him out of bed and tell him to get a move on it, before he would be late for work.

He would laugh softly at that and give her a quick kiss, before getting out of bed and heading to their kitchen to make her breakfast. It had been slightly difficult and challenging at first, in the early months of Vivian's pregnancy, when almost everything made her ill, but luckily, Jean-Pierre put his culinary skills to the test and was able to find foods that would stay down.

He would make her a small fruit crêpe, before getting the water to boil for her tea, squeeze some fresh orange juice and once everything would be ready, he would put it on a tray and bring it upstairs.

For the last three months, the doctor put her on bed rest and Jean-Pierre made sure she moved around as little as possible. Vivian thought it was cute and endearing the way he became so protective, most of the time, at least.

He would make an excellent father.

After he would be sure Vivian had everything she would need next to her, or as close to her as possible, he would take a quick shower, kiss her and her stomach goodbye, grab an apple and then head for work. He would have his cell phone on all day and Vivian knew she had to call him if anything happened.

Whether or not she would call him when she felt a little queasy, or ill, was a different story all together. Just because she was pregnant didn't mean she was an invalid.

* * *

Sometimes, when he would get home, he would find her on the couch and at first, it peeved him, but after she got pissed off at him and threatened to lock him outside, he let it be and accepted she could move around the house a little.

After a long day of work, he would kick off his shoes and plop himself beside her. He would thread his fingers through her long, wavy, blonde hair and it would be his own way of unwinding after work. He would braid her hair, massage her scalp and he would always end with massaging her shoulders to loosen up the tension that always seemed to be there.

He would grab some hand cream to make the pressure smoother to her skin and he would work hard on Vivian's back, trying his best to get all of the knots.

"Tu fais de bons massages, Jean. Tu nous gâtes trop."/ _"You make wonderful massages, Jean. __You spoil us too much." _She would tell him with a chuckle. He always dismissed the compliment.

"C'est la moindre des choses que j'peux faire. À t'entendre parler, on croirait que j'vais te cueillir des fleurs sur la lune à tous les jours."/ _"It's the least I can do. Hearing you speak, it's as if I go and get you flowers off the moon every day."_ She would frown at that. She never liked the way he never took credit when he deserved it. He was so humble.

"Pour moi c'est comme si c'était ça que tu faisais, et même plus."/ _"For me it's as if you did all of that, and even more." _She would turn around to face him and press her lips to his. Instinctively, his hands would make their way to the swell of life she carried and caress it fondly.

Sometimes, Vivian would wear Jean-Pierre's old sweatpants and sweatshirt and other times, she would actually change into some of her maternity clothes. Jean-Pierre loved it when she wore her pretty little blouses that just seemed to accentuate the curve of her belly just so. He loved unbuttoning the bottom buttons and caressing her belly with his large hands.

They had taken a picture once, in black and white, of the "three of them". She wore her hair down and it pooled around her shoulders. She chose to wear a white blouse, which she opened up at her stomach. She was looking down to her belly, smiling, with her hands on top of Jean-Pierre's, who had his on their child and he was kissing it tenderly. It was a lovely photograph.

Sometimes, as his hands travelled the vast expanse of her stomach, they would dance further up until they would come to her mid back. They had signs. Signs to let the other know if it was okay to continue or not. If she caressed his cheek, it meant later, if she took his hand, it meant not today, if she lightly pushed his shoulder, it meant yes.

She brought her hand to his shoulder and pushed ever so lightly.

He was quick to undo her bra, a skill he learnt and mastered, and as the garment was removed, his hands reigned freely over her breasts, feeling them, caressing them, loving them. She couldn't help but let out a soft moan and arch her back ever so, closer to him. He was always so attentive to her body.

* * *

It had taken Jean-Pierre a long time and much persuasion from both Vivian and the doctor to let him know that, no, the baby wouldn't be harmed if they had sex and yes, it was okay if they did.

"Vivianne, je te veux…"/ _"Vivian, I want you…"_ He whispered to her, voice heavy with lust, lips seeking hers out and kissing them deeply. She responded with kind and started working on his shirt. They always ended back in the bedroom. Jean-Pierre argued it would be more comfortable for her and she stopped trying to convince him otherwise, a long time ago.

But other than that, Vivian's stomach continued to grow and Jean-Pierre continued caring for her, until the due date was at the door; literally.

* * *

He was bringing in the groceries, while she was standing at the door, watching him, because he banned her from doing any physical work and one moment she was fixing the bow on her summer dress, and the next, she found herself opening her eyes and coming face to face with the very worried gaze of her lover.

"Jean?" She asked uncertainly.

"Est-ce que ça va?! Tu t'es évanouie, câline, une chance j't'ai attrapée avant que t'ailles tombée!"/ _"Are you okay?! __You fainted, jeez, thank goodness I caught you before you fell down!" _She looked up at his face, not certain she understood fully. Why had she fainted? And more importantly, why was she feeling so clammy?

"Té-tu correcte? T'es toute blanche…"/ _"Are you okay? You're all white…"_ He sounded genuinely worried.

"Jean, j'me sens pas bien…"/ _"Jean, I don't feel well…"_ She tried to sit up, but then everything went dark once more.

"Vivianne!"

* * *

When she was told she was expecting, she felt both pleased and frightened. This was a big step and she wondered whether she would be ready for motherhood. She already worried about her unborn child; scared something bad would happen to it, while in her womb.

Vivian told Jean-Pierre about her fears and he reassured her many times that if anything went wrong, the doctors would tell them.

There had been a small problem, just a slight tear in the placenta and she panicked. The bed rest… she was never a fan of it.

He was so happy… He quit smoking, quit cursing and he worked hard on the nursery. Parenting came naturally to him, somehow. They decided to keep the gender of the child unknown and that caused problems for Jean-Pierre when the time to paint the room came.

Vivian was convinced it would be a little boy, who would be just like his daddy and would grow up to love hockey, while Jean-Pierre was adamant it would be a little girl, who would have her mother's long, wavy, blonde hair and kind smile.

In the end, they chose soft hues of purple for the room. Jean-Pierre worked day in and day out on the nursery and the result was breathtaking.

* * *

Now, she could hear someone desperately calling out her name. She could feel eyes on her and she could feel the life in her stomach protesting against something, someone.

"Mommy's here; don't worry love." She found herself saying, her hands going to her belly by instinct to soothe the child down.

"We've got her back." A man said.

"Vivianne?" Jean-Pierre asked, her darling Jean-Pierre. She turned her head to find him and he was at her side in an instant.

"L'bébé s'en vient."/ _"The baby's coming." _He told her with the dopiest and happiest of smiles she had ever seen.

"Chérie, va falloir que tu travailles fort, mais j'vais être à côté de toi. Tu vas réussir, mon cœur."/ _"Darling, you're going to have to work hard, but I'll be right besides you. You'll do fine."_ He brushed the damp bangs away from her face. Why did she feel he wasn't telling her something?

"Jean…" She could only say.

A doctor guided her through what was happening. He helped her get ready and told her what to do. He had a soothing voice, but the only thing that could ease her worries was the encouraging voice of Jean-Pierre. He would refresh her face with a cool washcloth and he tied her hair back. He held her hand when the doctor told her to push the first time and he never let go.

Somewhere along the line, her blood pressure rose too high and when another doctor had to be brought in, they both knew something was going on, something that wasn't supposed to be happening.

* * *

The last blood-hurling scream should quickly be followed by the wails of a newborn child and they both waited for it, but it never came. Jean-Pierre was asked to move aside for the doctors and he was desperately waiting for someone to say something.

"Je suis désolé…"/ _"I'm sorry…"_ Those words pierced the thick silence, the silent panting Vivian was doing and it went straight to their hearts, ripping them open and leaving them out to bleed.

"C'était une fille…"/ _"It was a girl…"_ The doctor said, voice heavy with sorrow. Jean-Pierre took his head out from his hands and looked at Vivian, who still had her legs propped up, blood smearing them. There was so much of it. Should there be as much? Where were the wails? They both locked gaze.

The doctor turned around and a nurse walked closer with a babe in her hands, wrapped in a pink blanket. Vivian looked at him, his terror reflected in her eyes. They looked at the nurse, who shook her head sadly.

"N…non!" He finally choked out.

"Seigneur, non!"/ _"God, no!"_ He said a bit louder.

"Mon… mon bébé…"/ _"My… my baby…" _Vivian murmured, before erupting into tears.

"Pourquoi? Qu'est-ce qu'on… qu'est-ce qu'on a fait de pas correct? Han?"/ _"Why? What did we… what did we do wrong? Hmm?"_ She sobbed out, as more tears fell from her eyes. Jean-Pierre moved to where she was and hugged her tightly. She held on to him as they both wept together over their loss.

"Shh-shh…" He tried to tell her everything would be okay, that they would pull through, but he couldn't find the words. Only more tears spilled forth. He held her close, as he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"Would you like to hold her for a moment, before we make the necessary arrangements?" The nurse asked kindly, after both their sobs quieted down to saddened tears. Somehow or other, Jean-Pierre found the strength to open up his arms, as the bundle of blankets was placed in his waiting embrace.

He held her close, brought her to his face and kissed her cold forehead, void of life. Part of him wanted the infant to move, almost expecting it to happen, but she was as still as an ice statue.

"J't'aurais aimé, tu sais, j't'aurais aimé comme n'importe quel père qui aime son enfant. J't'aurais raconté des histoires le soir pour t'endormir, pis j'aurais été là pour toi pour chasser les monstres d'en d'ssous d'ton lit.

J't'aurais accompagné à tous tes cours de ballet, ou tes games d'hockey. J'aurais été ton propre super héros pour te protéger de tout les maux du monde. J's'rais v'nu t'chercher tôt le matin après un party, pis j'n'aurais pas trop posé de questions jusqu'à c'que t'ailles dormis un peu. J't'aurais aidé dans tes projets d'école pis j't'aurais attendu à' porte après ta première date.

Mais plus que ça, j'aurais aimé te voir grandir et te connaître, ma fille."/ _"I would have loved you, you know, I would have loved you like any other father loves his child. I would have told you stories to go to sleep at night, and I would have been there to chase the monsters from under your bed._

_I would have brought you to all your ballet classes, or your hockey games. I would have been your very own super hero to protect you from all the world's troubles. I would have come to pick you up early in the morning from a party and I wouldn't have asked questions, until you would have gotten some sleep. I would have helped you with your school projects and I would have waited for you at the door after your first date._

_But more than that, I would have liked to see you grow up and get to know you, my child."_ He said between a mix of tears and sorrow. He rocked her gently and softly pulled the blanket away from her face to better see it.

"A'r'garde, Vivianne, 'a l'a ton visage."/ _"Look, Vivian, she has your face."_ He brought her closer to her mother, who took her in her own arms.

Vivian couldn't find words and she simply held the baby in her arms, crying some more. Jean-Pierre held them both, until the nurse gently pried the infant out of their arms and they were left alone.

"Je m'ex-je m'excuse Jean…"/ _"I'm so-I'm sorry Jean…"_ She whispered between two sobs. Jean-Pierre kissed the top of her head, as he tried his best not to start weeping all over again.

"C'n'est pas d'ta faute. On va y passer à travers, on va y arrivé…"/ _"It's not your fault. We'll get through this, we'll find a way…"_

"_C'est la mienne…"_/_"It's mine…"_

**OWARI 11**

**Okay, let me explain! A while back, I had this vision, the one of Jean-Pierre's crestfallen face and of Vivian with her legs up and the blood after they hear the child is stillborn. It plagued me. I needed a reason to write the scene out. But Vivian did not exist at the time, so I spoke with P. and she helped me find a name for her. **

**And, originally, this was supposed to be a dream where Jean-Pierre wakes up and Vincent asks him what he dreamed about. I changed it.**

**Strangely, I really like the relationship between Vivian and Jean-Pierre. I also really like Vivian. I have other things planned with her.**

**Also, I know, I like toying with the dark side.**

**Open ended ending because I want to.**

**I do accept anonymous reviews.**

**Started writing: October 18****th**** 2010, 2:10pm**

**Finished writing: October 19****th**** 2010, 8:50am**

**Started typing: October 19****th**** 2010, 4:12pm**

**Finished typing: October 19****th**** 2010, 5:35pm**


	12. Un T-shirt pour toi

**Under Different Circumstances**

**Un T-Shirt pour toi**

**Disclaimer: I could just fall asleep, right now.**

Under Different Circumstances

Un T-Shirt pour toi

When Jean-Pierre walked into his place, he knew his lover was there. He put his stuff away, before walking to his kitchen. Vincent had his back to him and he went over to the younger man, before placing his arms around the other's waist and leaning his head on Vincent's shoulders.

"Salut mon cœur."/ _"Hey beautiful."_ He murmured into the other's ear. Vincent turned around, mildly surprised to see him and smiled.

"Hey, t'es à la maison tôt."/ _"Hey, you're home early."_ Jean-Pierre smiled.

"Oui, j'me suis dit que je pouvais partir un peu plus tôt puisque, apparemment, c'est une journée importante aujourd'hui."/ _"Yes, I told myself I could leave earlier since, apparently, today is an important day."_ Vincent feigned surprise.

"Ah oui? Et c'est quoi cet évènement qui t'as fait quitter plus tôt?"/ _"Really? And what is this event that made you leave earlier?"_

"Et bien, imagine toi donc que ça fait un an que tu me supportes et qu'on est ensemble. C'est quand même un évènement à célébrer."/ _"Well, it's been a year you've been enduring me and we're together. It's something worth celebrating."_ They both chuckled and shared a brief kiss.

"Un an… on aurait plutôt dit trois ans!"/ _"One year… feels more like three!"_ Vincent laughed at his own joke, while Jean-Pierre gave him half a glare that lacked its usual menace.

"J'me suis dit que j'pouvais te cuisiner un bon souper pour souligner la date."/ _"I figured I could make something for you for supper to mark the occasion."_

"Ah, ben, j'ai déjà commencé le souper. J'avais pensé à la même chose."/ _"Well, I already started supper. I thought of the same thing." _Jean-Pierre's smile fell a bit at that.

"Tu me fais toujours à souper, c'est la moindre des choses que je peux faire."/ _"You always make me dinner, it's the least I can do for you." _His boyfriend argued.

"Si tu insistes. J'vais t'aider dans ce cas."/ _"If you insist. I'll help you in that case." _Jean-Pierre made to grab the kerchief he always wore when he cooked, but Vincent impeded him from doing so.

"Non, c'est bon, j'veux que tu prennes ça relax. J'ai tout sous contrôle."/ _"No, it's okay, I want you to relax. I have everything under control."_ He wasn't convinced, but went to sit at the kitchen table.

"Alors, tu nous prépare quoi?"/ _"So, what are you making?"_ He asked instead, hoping it was something relatively simple.

"Du poulet avec des légumes et une salade."/ _"Some chicken with vegetables and a salad."_ Jean-Pierre blanched.

"Tu l'as mis quand dans l'four, l'poulet?"/ _"When d'you put the chicken in the oven?"_ Vincent paused as he checked the timer on the stove.

"À peu près une demi-heure, plus ou moins. Pourquoi, tu m'fais pas confiance?"/ _"More or less half an hour ago. __Why, you don't trust me?"_

"Non, non! Bien sûr que j'ai confiance en toi."/ _"No, no! Of course I have faith in you."_

"_Juste pas dans tes talents culinaires."_/ _"Just not in your culinary talents."_ He thought to himself.

"Ça ne devrait être plus très long."/ _"It shouldn't be much longer."_ They were silent for a moment.

"En passant, j't'ai acheté un p'tit quelque chose aujourd'hui."/ _"By the ways, I bought you a little something today."_

"T'étais pas obligé, Jean, mais moi aussi j'ai quelque chose pour toi. On pourra les échanger après le souper, oui?"/ _"You didn't have to, Jean, but I got you something as well. __We can exchange them after supper, yes?" _Jean-Pierre agreed to it, adding his own personal thought about whether or not he would still be alive.

They continued chatting amongst themselves, while Vincent finished the dinner preparations. It wasn't long before the chicken was put on the table and the vegetables soon followed. Jean-Pierre was convinced he had lost all of his appetite.

It was a known fact Vincent was no culinary genius. Jean-Pierre counted his blessings he had been taught by their French grandfather, but Vincent hadn't been so lucky and judging by what was on the table now, today was not one of the younger man's better attempts.

Vincent cut him up a piece from the once bird and placed it on his dish, before spooning a large quantity of vegetables. The exterior of the chicken was charred to perfection and judging by the way the white meat fell apart at the slightest of touch, it was probably exquisitely dry too. As for the vegetables, they were bland beyond words and would have been perfect for mashed vegetable surprise.

"Et puis, comment tu trouves?"/ _"So, how is it?" _The honest answer would have been "it tastes like shit", but when he looked at his boyfriend's happy, expectant face, he just couldn't break his lover's heart, after all the hard work he put into it. He braved up and took a large bite of chicken, with some vegetables, before washing it down with a long gulp of the homemade lemonade that was thankfully, not all that bad.

"Mmm, délicieux, mon cœur, très bien réussi."/ _"Mmm, delicious, love, you did a splendid job." _He found himself saying. It was worth it just to see the undulated joy radiating off Vincent's face.

"Vraiment?! Ben tant mieux! J'vais t'en mettre dans ton lunch pour demain, dans ce cas!"/ _"Really?! Good then! I'll put some in your lunch for tomorrow, in that case!"_ Jean-Pierre felt his stomach protest the thought of having any more of this… food. He was glad there were many restaurants around the area where he worked. At least he wouldn't starve.

* * *

After supper, Jean-Pierre insisted on doing the dishes, while Vincent went to wait for him in the living room. The older of the two used this opportunity to eat some leftovers from the previous day and he was glad Vincent didn't walk in the kitchen at that point; it would have broken his heart.

Once the dishes were done and his stomach slightly happier, he grabbed the present he got for Vincent and went to sit next to the younger man.

"Alors, t'es prêt? Ouvre le mien en premier!"/ _"So, are you ready? Open mine first!"_ Vincent handed him a bag and he took it out of the other's hand. He removed the tissue paper and put it aside, before taking out the present itself, which felt soft and wrapped in a sheet of tissue paper, as well. He removed it and found a t-shirt.

Jean-Pierre unfolded the white t-shirt and turned it over to see the front. He couldn't help but laugh loudly at what he saw. The irony was just too great. Vincent did not seem to be as amused.

"Qu'est-ce qu'y a de si drôle? T'aimes pas?"/ _"What's so funny? You don't like it?" _The older man tried to calm down, but he just couldn't stop himself from laughing.

"Juste – juste, ouvre le tien, tu vas comprendre."/ _"Just – just, open yours, you'll understand." _He handed him his bag and Vincent took it, before opening it up. He pulled out a white t-shirt he turned over. He shook his head in disbelief.

"Voir."/ _"No way." _ He murmured to himself.

"Maintenant tu comprends pourquoi je riais?"/ _"Now you understand why I was laughing?" _Jean-Pierre asked, as he put the t-shirt that he received, which read "I love Ottawa", the love being replaced by a heart, next to the one he got for Vincent, which read "J'aime Montréal" with the word "aime" being replaced by the same red heart.

"Oui, l'ironie est drôle. I guess great minds think alike?"/ _"Yes, the irony is funny…" _Jean-Pierre chuckled and kissed Vincent once and then twice.

"Merci, mon cœur, pour tout."/ _"Thank you, love, for everything." _Vincent blushed and cuddled close to Jean-Pierre's body.

**OWARI 12**

**Inspired by actual t-shirts. **

**I do accept anonymous reviews.**

**Started writing: October 27****th**** 2010, 12:50pm**

**Finished writing: October 28****th**** 2010, 3:29pm**

**Started typing: November 2****nd**** 2010, 6:46pm**

**Finished typing: November 2****nd**** 2010, 7:41pm**


	13. Happy Halloween!

**Under Different Circumstances**

**Happy Halloween!**

**I just had to.**

**Disclaimer: Return of Thérèse**

Under Different Circumstances

Happy Halloween!

Jean-Pierre was extremely happy and giddy. Today was Halloween and he and his lover were celebrating it together. Now, even though Vincent was the one who went crazy for the holiday, the oldest of the pair was looking forward to it, because they had many exciting plans for the day.

At first, it seemed as though Vincent hadn't planned anything, but then he surprised Jean-Pierre on Friday night with four large pumpkins, many bags of candies, a box full of scary movies and some pretty epic costumes. As it turned out, Vincent had made plans.

Saturday morning, they carved the pumpkins, making amusing and scary faces out of them and then Jean-Pierre baked the collected seeds in the oven. After their afternoon, Vincent retrieved the DVD box, while he made as many bags of popcorn they had. They then held their own scary movie marathon.

There were some movies that made him cringe, others that made them both duck their heads in fright, and others still that made Vincent burry his face in the crook of Jean-Pierre's neck. They only called it quits when Jean-Pierre fell asleep around four am.

The following morning, Sunday, today, they woke up to find a thin layer of snow on the ground. They laughed at it and after lazying about for the better part of the day, it was now time to put a bowl of candy out, put the pumpkins in the car, get dressed and head to the orphanage for some trick or treating with the children there.

Jean-Pierre was currently mussing up his hair and making sure it looked dishevelled for his costume. He was dressing up as a prisoner. He had the tattered clothes, the shackles around his ankles, fake bruises and bags underneath his eyes. He was putting the finishing touches to his costume when Vincent walked out of the adjoining bathroom all decked out in his own costume.

The younger man came up to him and grabbed his right arm before bringing it close to his own arm and closing a handcuff around it. Yes, Vincent was dressed up as a cop. He wanted them to match so he chose these two costumes. Obviously, Vincent fit the role of police officer better than Jean-Pierre, even though Vincent vocally fantasized that he would look amazing decked out as a cop.

"You're under arrest for theft." Vincent whispered in his ear. Jean-Pierre tilted his head upwards and quirked his eyebrow.

"End pray do tell wa't I 'ave done dat is wrong, officer." He asked, playing along.

"You've been caught stealing my heart." Vincent replied quite seriously. They looked at each other for a moment, before Jean-Pierre snorted up laughing. Vincent wasn't quite sure what was so funny.

"Quoi?"/_"What?" _

"C'tait dont ben cheesy ton affaire."/ _"That was really cheesy."_ He said between two laughs.

"C'était le seul exemple que j'ai pu trouver sur le coup qui était approprié."/ _"It was the only example I could find on the spot that was appropriate."_ He pouted a bit and Jean-Pierre chuckled, before pulling his boyfriend close and kissing him briefly.

"C'pas grave, c'tait comique. J'espère juste que t'as la clef pass j'me rappelle pas où cé que je l'ai mise la dernière fois qu'on a utilisé les menottes."/ _"It's okay, it was funny. I just hope you have the key, because I can't remember where I put it the last time we used the handcuffs."_ Vincent blushed slightly as he recalled that particular last time, before nodding and taking out the key from a chain around his neck.

"J'me suis dit que ça pourrait être pratique à soir."/ _"I figured it could be useful tonight."_ He unlocked the cuffs and Jean-Pierre massaged his wrist.

"Ouais, surtout si un des jeunes décide de jouer un tour."/ _"Yeah, especially if one of the kids decides to play a trick." _They both chuckled at the thought.

"T'es sûr que c'est correct que j'viennes?"/ _"You sure it's okay I come?" _Vincent asked for what seemed like the seventy-fourth time in the last forty-eight hours.

"Oui, Vincent, pour la dernière fois, tout le monde est bien content que tu viennes avec nous, moi le premier."/ _"Yes, Vincent, for the last time, everyone is happy you're coming with us, I being the first."_ He squeezed his lover's hand reassuringly and Vincent gave him half a smile.

Jean-Pierre went to help Thérèse, with the children, trick or treating, for a number of years now and he thought it would be nice if Vincent would join them. He asked the children and they were all thrilled at the prospect and excited to have another "friend" come with them. Even Thérèse was touched by the gesture and Jean-Pierre promised them he would speak with the other man and let them know.

By the time Friday came along and still no plans were made, he finally asked Vincent if he wanted to join and he was relieved, and surprised, when his partner told him he already called to let Thérèse know. Vincent told him he knew how much he cared for the children; therefore, it was obvious what they would be doing.

Jean-Pierre was extremely glad the children took so well to Vincent and that his lover enjoyed coming with him to visit them. He worried about it at first, but now, being able to share this experience with him, he was glad they could have these wonderful moments together. He felt it brought them closer in their relationship.

"Bon ben, moi chu prêt, on y va?"/ _"Well, I'm ready, shall we?"_ Vincent nodded and headed for the entrance closet to get his coat and shoes. It was rather cold outside and he was glad he had a coat that would go well with his costume. Jean-Pierre, on the other hand, took an old trench coat of his and tattered it up so it would fit with the overall look. Because it was so damp, he threw on a scarf and a pair of fingerless gloves. And if he was cold, well, he had pockets.

They drove to the orphanage in relative silence and parked the car in the lot, before bringing the pumpkins inside. Thérèse came to help them out and once they set them up, they went inside to help the last of the children get ready.

"Jean-Pierre, Jean-Pierre, peux-tu m'aider avec mon maquillage? J'veux plein, plein d'sang sur mon visage!"/ _"Jean-Pierre, Jean-Pierre, can you help me with my make-up? I want a lot, a lot of blood on my face!" _A little boy, Frédéric, came up to him and asked. He was dressed up as some sort of monster.

"Non, non, moi j'ai besoin d'un trèfle sur ma joue, chu une carte, moi!"/ _"No, no, I need a clover on my cheek, I'm a card!" _A little girl, Amy, dressed as an ace of clover said, as she pushed Frédéric aside.

"Mais moi j'ai besoin de ressembler à un vampire!"/ _"But I need to look like a vampire!" _Samuel complained.

"Woah, woah, du calme tout le monde! Ça ne va pas aboutir à rien si on se chicane de même. Alors, tous ceux qui ont besoin de maquillage font une ligne devant moi. Ceux qui ont besoin d'aide avec leur costume, aller voir Vincent et ceux qui sont prêt, aller voir Thérèse, d'accord?"/ _"Woah, woah, calm down everyone! __This won't lead to much if we're all fighting like this. So, those who need make-up, line up in front of me. Those who need help with their costumes, go see Vincent and those who are ready, go see Thérèse, okay?" _The children nodded before lining up in front of him, or going to see Vincent, or Thérèse.

"J'espère que ça n'te dérange pas, mon cœur."/_"I hope you don't mind, love."_ Jean-Pierre asked Vincent. Vincent shook his head, before kissing his cheek tenderly and going to help Marie, who couldn't tie her pink bow right.

They spent a good forty-five minutes getting the children ready and when they had done so they finally left. There were two other women, who worked with Thérèse, which came along with them. They made quite the big group and they were each in charge of ten or so kids, just to make sure no one was left behind. They were also lucky the orphanage was in an area that decorated a lot and celebrated the holiday.

Thérèse and her two helpers went up ahead with their groups, while Jean-Pierre and Vincent stayed further back. The women had the younger children, while they had the older ones. Two other helpers stayed at the orphanage with the infants and the children who did not want to go trick or treating. Some even volunteered to hand out candy instead.

"Et puis, comment tu trouves ça?"/ _"So, how do you like it?" _Jean-Pierre asked him, as he interlaced their fingers together. Vincent tugged on their linked hands and beamed at him. The children ran up to a house to ask for candy.

"C'est vraiment génial. J'suis content d'être ici avec toi. J'espère pouvoir partager ce moment ensemble pour plusieurs années."/ _"It's really great. I'm happy to be here with you. I hope we get to share this moment together for many more years." _Jean-Pierre stopped momentarily and turned around to look at him.

"Tant mieux, dans ce cas."/ _"Good then."_ They smiled at each other and shared a kiss, as they waited for their groups to return. When they did, they continued their path together, enjoying the brisk end of October air.

**OWARI 13**

**I do accept anonymous reviews.**

**Started writing: October 31****st**** 2010, 5:18pm**

**Finished writing: November 1****st**** 2010, 3:45pm**

**Started typing: November 9****th**** 2010, 1:49pm**

**Finished typing: November 9****th**** 2010, 3:01pm**


	14. By the Time You're Leaving

**Under Different Circumstances****  
By the Time You're Leaving**

**Please listen to the song "By the Time" by Mika. It is what spawned this. It's vague and ambiguous and I have no idea what is going on either. **

Under Different Circumstances

By the Time You're Leaving

Jean-Pierre woke up in the middle of the night, just like he intended to. He stretched his hand and reached for his wristwatch. He checked it and was glad to see it was 3:30am, just like he planned. He slowly turned around in bed to come to rest on the side for a moment.

Beside him, Vincent was sleeping soundly, snoring lightly, for a change, looking completely peaceful. He felt his heart break a little. He allowed himself a moment to take in the scene before him; he had a bit of time. Even though he knew he would probably regret this later, he allowed himself this moment of weakness and caressed Vincent's cheek tenderly. He brushed a strand of hair away from the younger man's face and then slowly got up; he had wasted enough time.

He pulled on a pair of jeans and slipped on the first shirt he could find, in the dark, and then zipped up his blue sweatshirt. He sat down to put on a pair of socks and then paused yet again. He had to do this. But as much as he had to, he didn't really want to. The fact remained, he wanted to stay with Vincent and he loved him, but this would be less painful if he just left quietly in the dead of the night.

Jean-Pierre sighed to himself, as he took his backpack and placed it on his shoulder. He pulled out a letter from his jean pocket, he wrote for his partner, and put it on his pillow. He was about to simply walk out of the room, at least, that's what he told himself he would do, but he couldn't just leave like that. He paused by the door, one foot out of the room, the rest of his body still there with Vincent.

He looked at the room; at their room, the picture of the two of them he put himself on his nightstand, and now he was leaving all this behind. He couldn't even remember why he agreed to do this, or why this was supposed to be a good idea.

He was going to walk out, but then he found himself going back to the bed and kneeling beside Vincent. By now, the younger man was simply breathing heavily. Jean-Pierre stood there for a moment. He pulled the blankets and tucked them around his lover's body. He knew he was stalling, that his carefully manicured plan was crumbling, but he didn't really care.

"Pardonne-moi, Vincent."/ _"Forgive me, Vincent."_ He murmured, before placing a soft but quick kiss to Vincent's lips and then he left. He knew he had played with fire now, that Vincent could wake up at anytime and call him back, but part of him wanted him to. Somewhere, deep down inside of him, Jean-Pierre wanted Vincent to stop him from doing this.

But it never happened. Vincent didn't wake up, didn't call him back and he left. Just like he told himself he would. Just like the plan told him to.

* * *

Vincent woke up, many hours later, expecting to find Jean-Pierre next to him, actually looking forward to the morning, just to be able to snuggle up to his lover and enjoy the weekend morning together, but when he turned around, he found an empty spot, safe for the letter that drew his eyes to it.

With trembling hands, he reached for the letter and took it. He opened the envelope and pulled out a three page letter written in his partner's distinctive handwriting; not entirely cursive, not fully shorthand either, a mixture of both.

_Vincent…_

**OWARI 14**

**Je ne sais pas either. **

**I do accept anonymous reviews.**

**Started writing: November 23****rd**** 2010, 8:44pm**

**Finished writing: November 23****rd**** 2010, 9:48am**

**Started typing: December 2****nd**** 2010: 9:00pm**

**Finished typing: December 2****nd**** 2010, 9:16pm**


	15. I Really Can't Stay

**Under Different Circumstances**

**I Really Can't Stay **

**Christmas story! Yay! Go listen to "Baby It's Cold Outside". **

**Disclaimer: CHRISTMAS SEASON! Ironically, the song started playing halfway through, when I was writing it.**

Under Different Circumstances

I Really Can't Stay

His lover had, yet again, managed to get him exactly where he wanted him. That place was somewhere in his hallway, with his back pressed against the wall, and his arms wrapped around Jean-Pierre's chest, pulling him closer, even though he really had to leave.

"Jean-Pierre, stop, I have to leave, please." He wanted to sound firm and demanding, but when his boyfriend was nipping at his neck, while his hands roamed dangerously free under his cable knit sweater and when they hadn't been intimate in a long time, it made everything quite difficult.

"Mais mon cœur, il fait froid dehors."/ _"But it's cold outside, love."_ Jean-Pierre whispered seductively in his ear, taking the time to nibble at the sensitive flesh that was there and give an extra little lick for more effect. He couldn't help but moan. It wasn't he didn't want to stay at Jean-Pierre's place; lord knew he did it enough times in the past, but he had an early day tomorrow and a lot of work to do… and really, he only dropped by to pick up something he forgot last time, which he absolutely needed for tomorrow.

However, naturally, his lover was cooking so he asked him to stay and Jean-Pierre knew he was a sucker for good food and even though he tried to protest, his stomach grumbled loudly and the reality remained he didn't have the time to eat all day.

The meal was wonderful and his lover took out his good wine, which flowed freely. Moreover, when the clock struck ten, he got up to leave, but Jean-Pierre insisted they just relax a bit in the living room and then he took out after dinner drinks with chocolates…

But now it was eleven fifteen and he had to leave!

"Jeaaaaaan, mmh, arrête."/ _"Jeaaaaaan, mmh, stop."_ He lacked conviction and they both knew it. Jean-Pierre stopped the ministrations he was giving the earlobe and Vincent was foolish enough to think he was going to let him go, but then he restarted at the neck and his hands were doing things… oh such wondrous things.

"J'vais être dehors toute la soirée si t'arrêtes pas."/ _"I'll be outside all night if you don't stop."_ He gave the younger man that sultry enigmatic smile he loved so much and Vincent became even more putty in Jean-Pierre's hands. Perhaps it did not help his hands successfully managed to remove his sweater and his mouth traveled south.

"J'ai un – J'ai un rendez-vous avec mon boss demain matin…"/ _"I have a – I have an appointment with my boss tomorrow morning…"_

"Y neige dehors; c'est dangereux."/ _"It's snowing outside; it's dangerous."_ The older man swirled his tongue around Vincent's left nipple and the younger man knew he was losing the battle.

"J'dois être au bureau pour huit heures…"/_"I have to be in for eight…" _He moaned again and fisted his hands in Jean-Pierre's hair.

"Tu vas g'ler dehors; j'peux t'accompagner demain matin."/ _"You'll freeze outside; I can bring you in tomorrow morning."_ He stopped shortly with his actions and straightened up. They looked at each other for a moment and Vincent actually found himself considering it. Sensing that Vincent needed more convincing, Jean-Pierre let his finger sensually slide down his lover's chest and let it rest at his waistband. He caressed the fabric and brushed the skin that was there. Vincent shivered at the touch. Jean-Pierre would be the death of him.

"People will talk at the office tomorrow."

"You never care before. Why shou-ld it bod'er you now? So let dem tal-k. It's not your problem if you 'ave a life sexual wit your partner." He whispered in his ear, using his thick English accent to his advantage. The bastard knew him too well. Then he had the guts to let that finger dip below the waistband and invite the other digits in as well. He involuntarily bucked his hips forward, which made Jean-Pierre smirk in triumph.

"Dat's more like it." He was teasing him! That's what it was. It was the only logical explanation, considering the fact his lips were hovering an inch away from his own and his hand was leaving feather light touches to his pelvic area without doing anything more; just taunting him and making him needier.

"Just get on with it, please! Fuck me now or so help me God, I will take you up against your wall and I don't care if your neighbours' complain." Jean-Pierre smirked and let his hand reach its final destination, pleased he managed to convince his boyfriend to stay.

"Mais avec plaisir, mon cœur."/ _"With pleasure, my love."_ Vincent felt Jean-Pierre was talking too much and crashed his lips on his for a messy, needy kiss. He could indulge a bit in a little quality time with his lover; after all, it was the holiday season and it seemed Jean-Pierre was quite in the giving mood tonight.

**OWARI 15 **

**This one amuses me.**

**I do accept anonymous reviews.**

**Started writing: November 27****th**** 2010, 4:50pm**

**Finished writing: November 27****th**** 2010, 5:37pm**

**Started typing: December 2****nd**** 2010, 9:31pm**

**Finished typing: December 2****nd**** 2010, 10:14pm**


	16. Glory to the Team

**Under Different Circumstances**

**Glory to the Team**

**Well, it's a sporting event, WHAT MORE DO YOU EXPECT?!**

**Disclaimer: Ontario and Alberta hate each other, ahaha. This is awesome.**

**Saskatchewan = Gail**

**Alberta = Edmond**

Under Different Circumstances

Glory to the Team

As much as the sport wasn't his favourite, as much as he didn't find it as exciting as his beloved hockey; the fact remained that when a team from his place made it to the finals, no matter what the discipline might be, he still got riled up for it. It was the same now with the football final.

Last weekend was the Eastern Final and he had to make sure not to party too much, since when one had a lover who was rooting for the opposite team, well, simply put, he didn't feel like sleeping on the couch until his birthday, so he kept it down to a minimum.

Today however, was an entirely different matter. They took a flight from Montréal to Edmonton early this morning. It was a rather interesting thing to see how Vincent, who had bashed the Alouettes just a week ago, now looked like their biggest fan in the whole wide world. Jean-Pierre was convinced if his team would be playing Edmond's team and not Gail's, he would have been on a greater rampage, but the reality remained Gail's team won over Eddy's and he was stuck hosting; something that greatly amused both Jean-Pierre and Vincent.

They were currently sitting in their seats, good seats no less, and the only one who wasn't sitting was Vincent, who was eyeing his place with abject disdain. Jean-Pierre already saw this coming; he took out a blanket he brought from home and put it down on the seat.

"Allez, assis toi là, tu vas pas attraper des microbes."/ _"Come on, sit here, you won't catch germs."_ Vincent made believe he didn't hear anything, and it wasn't because they were in Alberta, and sat down murmuring a soft thanks.

"Are these seats too high quality for you?" Edmond sneered at them, two seats down.

"Shut up, I just don't want to be cold." The youngest brother didn't seem convinced and Vincent flushed lightly and turned around to face Jean-Pierre instead.

"You. You better make sure your team wins, or so help me I will do something I'll regret and you can kiss your sex life goodbye." Jean-Pierre would have laughed if he didn't know that not only was his boyfriend dead serious, but he completely despised Edmond's arrogance. He put his arm around his shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly.

"C'pas l'équipe de sœurette qui va battre la mienne."/ _"It's not her team that's going to beat mine." _ He chuckled.

"Can you not speak your fail French here? We're in public." Gail sighed and hit her twin brother on the head.

"Shut up, host, can we just watch the game as a normal family, for once?"

"Yeah, host, that's about all you're good for." Vincent told his younger brother, who tried to jump out of his seat to strangle him, but Gail stopped him just in time.

"Wasn't Dad supposed to come as well? I thought he was coming with you guys." She asked the other two.

"Y'a du annuler à cause du travail."/ _"He had to cancel because of work."_ She nodded her head in understanding and the four fell into some type of silence, as they waited for the game to start. Jean-Pierre took this moment to observe Edmond and Vincent, who both looked pissed off beyond words. He hoped neither of their teams would ever make it to the finals together, in fear of having a massive bloodbath on his hands. He smiled to himself, as he got an idea.

"Dit, Vincent…"/ _"Say, Vincent…"_ He started.

"What?" He snapped a bit. It was strange and pleasing to see him wear one of his own Alouettes shirt and scarf.

"Tu peux me donner un "good luck kiss" pour d'la chance?"/ _"Can you give me a "good luck kiss" for luck?"_ He gave his lover a sly, devilish smile and at first Vincent seemed startled and slightly put off, but then a smirk grew on his face and before he even knew it, Vincent was out of his seat and sitting on his lap, inches away from his face.

"Bien sûr."/ _"Of course."_ He murmured huskily, before kissing him roughly. Jean-Pierre responded just as eagerly and neither seemed to care that a) they were in a packed stadium and b) Edmond looked like he was about ready to throw up. Or perhaps they did care about the second point and were only continuing because it was making their younger brother extremely uncomfortable.

"Oh God, for crying out loud, d'you really have to do that here? Oh, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!" As a response, Jean-Pierre brought his hand to Vincent's backside and gave a squeeze.

"People are watching!" Edmond hissed out in embarrassment.

"Oh let them be! I think it's cute they found love; I mean, they're not doing anything wrong, just look away if you're so disgusted. Anyways, look, your team is coming in." That successfully got Edmond's attention away from the other two.

Jean-Pierre and Vincent eventually stopped when they got a few catcalls from the people behind and when the Alouettes came out. Personally, he never saw Vincent cheer so loudly for his team, ever. It was almost like rage and it almost seemed as though there was a competition between Edmond and Vincent, for who could cheer the loudest.

"Wow, feels like we have our own personal cheerleading squad." Gail told him. Jean-Pierre chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"Bonne chance à toi."/ _"Good luck to you."_ He told her and that was the last of any civil conversation between any of them, for the game finally started.

* * *

It was a very exciting game, or well, it seemed to be, what with a stadium packed with fans and supporters of both teams cheering like mad. Or maybe even just having your lover yelling his lungs out about how the ref was blind and that was a fucking point if he ever saw one was just as effective.

"What the hell was that, asshole?! He fucking tripped him on purpose! Let's go, come on!" Vincent yelled, as he bolted up and started yelling profanities, as loudly as possible.

"Don't let them get through, holy shit, no, no, no, don't – ah fuck it no!" Whoever was cheering for Saskatchewan groaned, as the Alouettes scored their first touchdown.

"YES! That's what I'm talking about! HA! In your face, you little wannabe twerp! Damn right!" Vincent yelled as he high-fived Jean-Pierre. It was funny it actually seemed as though Jean-Pierre and Gail were the guests to their brothers' games and not the other way around. Competitive spirit certainly flowed in their veins.

"Just wait and see you old has-been; she'll beat the shit out of your boy toy's team!"

"Bring it on, squeaky; this team's got French blood coursing in them!" Both Jean-Pierre and Edmond were surprised by the statement, for different reasons.

"Since when did you become such a preacher and fan of those Frenchies?"

"Since I had to come and sit here."

"You're just saying that 'cause you want to get some tonight."

"And what if I wanted to?"

"Well that's just retarded."

"You're the retarded one."

"You're the wannabe super province!"

"You just can't grasp the fact I'm superior to you."

"Superior in what, stupidity?"

"Sore loser."

"Baby."

"Advantage seeker."

"Blue eyed Arab."

"Center of the universe."

"Impolite."

"Has-b-"

"Ostie!"/ _"Shit!"_ Jean-Pierre yelled out, while Gail jumped up and let out a loud "YES!" Vincent and Edmond snapped their heads towards the field and looked as the Saskatchewan Roughriders made a touchdown.

"HA! Good job Gailie, you show 'em!" Edmond said proudly patting his older, twin sister on the shoulder.

"Three points to go, c'mon let's go Roughriders; three points, no four points and the game is in the bag!" Edmond cheered, while Gail simply clapped her hands.

"Don't think it's gonna happen!" Vincent half yelled from his seat. He then turned around to face Jean-Pierre and grabbed him by the collar.

"If you lose, I am not talking to you for a very long time and you won't be seeing the CN tower from close, or from far, for an even longer time." He then let go of him and returned glaring at his younger brother.

Jean-Pierre said nothing to that, since he feared for the well-being of his person and simply joined the crowd that was cheering. The clock ticked down the remaining time until three, two, one, the game was over.

"FUCK YES! OH, IN YOUR FACE! So, who's the better team now, hmm?" Vincent proclaimed loudly, as he got up and started dancing about in full victory dance mode.

"Sh – shut up! That was a fluke and, and, it's not even my team!"

"Because yours lost."

"And so did yours!"

"But I don't really care as much as you do."

"Says the one who looks like a giant bird."

"Says the one who's crying because he only got to host; again."

"Meany."

"Baby."

"Loser."

"Sore loser."

"Di-"

"Ça suffit, crisse!"/ _"That's enough, Christ!"_ Jean-Pierre finally snapped. It effectively got the two younger men to pipe down.

"Bon, merci. Ça devrait être moi et sœurette en train de s'obstiner, pas vous deux."/ _"Thank you. It should be Gail and I arguing, not you two."_

"JP's right; Ed, you're such a whiner and you sound like a rusty clothes line, please shut up." Gail added.

"J'm'excuse, Jean, j'voulais pas m'emporter de même."/ _"I'm sorry, Jean, I didn't want to get carried away like that."_ Vincent said giving an apologetic smile to him.

"C'pas grave."/ _"It doesn't matter."_

"Mais j'ai une p'tite idée pour me faire pardonner…"/ _"But I have a small idea to get forgiven…"_ He started off whispering in the older man's ear.

"Oh?"

"On devrait célébrer ta victoire quand on arrive chez Edmond. Pour le faire chier et aussi pour désinfecter la place."/ _"We should celebrate your victory when we get to Edmond's. To piss him off and also to disinfect the place."_ He nibbled on Jean-Pierre's earlobe and was pleased when his partner's cheeks flushed with colour.

"Eddy, I suggest you sleep with your doors closed tonight." Gail told her brother, sort of feeling bad for him, but not really.

"Maybe I'll just stay here." The youngest said, unheard of by the others.

**OWARI 16 **

**And then, the following week, the Edmonton Oilers defeated both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens. Sans blague. Eddy figured he'd beat his brothers' at a sport they actually cared about after this. **

**I do accept anonymous reviews.**

**Started writing: November 30****th**** 2010, 1:54pm**

**Finished writing: November 30****th**** 2010, 1:01am**

**Started typing: December 12****th**** 2010, 11:42pm**

**Finished typing: December 13****th**** 2010: 12:30am**


	17. Not Now

**Under Different Circumstances**

**Not Now**

**My titles suck and all I've written is UDC stuff, aha.**

Under Different Circumstances

Not Now

Jean-Pierre and Vincent were both lying on the living room couch snuggled together. Jean-Pierre was threading his fingers though his partner's hair and they were just enjoying a moment together, after a long day of work. They were both willing to stay like this for a very long time, but then both their stomachs started grumbling, protesting they wanted to be fed.

"Veux-tu m'aider à faire le souper?"/ _"Would you like to help me with supper?"_ Jean-Pierre asked the other man, not really moving from the couch, still willing his brain to give out the command.

"T'as pas peur que j'vais tout brûler?"/ _"You're not scared I'm going to burn everything?"_ Vincent asked, masking his surprise that his boyfriend asked him if he wanted to help and the fact that it actually pleased him.

"Si chu là avec toi, j'vais pouvoir m'assurer que tout ce passe bien. Allez, viens, tu vas apprendre comment faire mon fameux poisson que t'as aimé y'a pas longtemps."/ _"If I'm there with you to make sure everything goes well it'll be fine. Come on, you'll learn how to make my infamous fish you liked so much recently."_ Jean-Pierre chuckled, as Vincent rolled his eyes and got up. They made their way to the kitchen and Jean-Pierre took out all the necessary things he would need for the meal and told Vincent to start by cleaning the fish, while he took care of the asparagus.

It was nice, Jean-Pierre thought to himself, spending time like this in the kitchen, as they both prepared dinner. There was a lull in the kitchen and nothing was rushed, no conversation was forced, it was just the two of them.

When he was done with the asparagus, he went to check up on Vincent's progress and wrapped his arms around the shorter man's waist, before hugging him from behind, for a second or so, as he let his hands rest on Vincent's wrists, while his lover continued cleaning the fish. Jean-Pierre put his head on his shoulder and closed his eyes, as he let Vincent's hands continue with their job.

They moved together as one and no words were exchanged between them, until Jean-Pierre started placing feather light kisses on Vincent's neck and a shiver ran down the younger man's spleen.

"Jean… peux-tu arrêter s'te plait? Je sais comment nettoyer le poisson, pis j'ai vraiment froid en ce moment, pis t'aides pas en faisant ça dans mon cou."/ _"Jean… can you stop please? I know how to clean fish and I'm really cold right now. You're not helping by doing that to my neck."_ Vincent slightly nudged him away and Jean-Pierre let him go, choosing instead to go and work on the soup.

"Tiens… j'ai fini… avec le… poisson…"/ _"Here… I finished… with the… fish…"_ Jean-Pierre had just enough time to turn around and watch, as Vincent lost all energy, before catching the younger man, as Vincent fainted in his arms and the fish fell to the floor. Panic momentarily put aside, Jean-Pierre brought the younger man to the couch, where they had been lounging earlier, and tried his best not to completely lose it.

He checked for Vincent's vital signs, made sure he was breathing properly and that he didn't have any visible injuries and only when he did that did he allow himself to grab a washcloth, wet it with cool water, before returning to Vincent's side and applying the cold compress to the other's forehead.

"Vincent… Vincent… réveille… s'te plait…"/ _"Vincent… Vincent… wake up… please…"_ He wanted to hold back his tears, but found the emotion was much too strong and his worry won over him.

Jean-Pierre tried not to think of the worst possible scenarios that could happen, but his mind was throwing one after another, until the younger man started stirring. He stopped all actions and allowed a small-relieved sigh to pass his lips.

"Seigneur, merci! Tu m'as fait crissement peur, mon cœur."/ _"Thank God! You fucking scared me, love."_ Jean-Pierre said, caressing Vincent's face tenderly, when his lover blinked his eyes open. Vincent gave him a curious look and pushed himself away from the older man.

"Eum… vous êtes qui vous?"/ _"Eum… who are you?"_ Jean-Pierre's world froze at those words. This couldn't be happening. This was not happening. Not now. His heart skipped various beats and he could feel his throat clench up and tears forming in his eyes.

"Vincent… c'est moi, Jean-Pierre, ton mari…"/ _"Vincent… it's me, Jean-Pierre, your husband…"_ He was hoping his name would trigger something, but it didn't. He just got a blank stare from the man before him.

"Mais non, je ne suis pas marié, moi."/ _"No, I'm not married."_ And to top it off, he sounded disgusted; disgusted that he was claiming they were married. If he could have dug himself a hole and died in it, Jean-Pierre would have done it.

"Regarde la bague sur ta main…"/ _"Look at the ring on your hand…"_ He tried again. Vincent did so and removed it looking at the foreign object. He seemed shocked and even more repulsed, as he put the piece of jewellery down on the coffee table.

"Je ne sais pas à quoi vous jouez, monsieur, mais je ne la trouve pas drôle."/ _"I don't know what you're playing at, sir, but I don't think it's funny."_

"T'as vraiment aucune idée de qui chuis… Le Québec ça ne te dis rien?"/ _"You really don't know who I am… Quebec doesn't ring a bell?"_ He tried, hoping Vincent would at least remember their very long past together.

"Qui? Non, j'en ai pas entendu parler."/ _"Who? Nope, never heard of it."_ Hs tone was cold, harsh and distant. The usual warmth that was there was gone and it made something in Jean-Pierre shatter to tiny pieces.

"C'mon le frère, on a grandit ensemble depuis qu'on était tout p'tit, dit moi pas que t'as oublié ça!"/ _"Come on, we grew up together since we were small, don't tell me you forgot all of that!" _Vincent sat up straighter on the couch and recoiled further away from Jean-Pierre.

"Frère?! Me semblais que vous aviez dit qu'on était marié? Parce qu'en plus de ça on est dans une relation incestueuse? J'pense avoir assez entendu. J'vais m'en aller."/ _"Brother?! I thought you told me we were married? Because on top of that we're in an incestuous relationship? I think I heard enough. I'm leaving." _ Vincent made to get up but Jean-Pierre stopped him.

"C'est juste un ancien surnom. On s'appelait d'même quand on était p'tit, puisqu'on était proche."/ _"It's just an old nickname. We used to call each other that when we were young, since we were close." _ It was a complete lie, but he tried it anyways, as bitterness seeped through his words.

"Est-ce que tu sais té qui au moins?"/ _"D'you know who you are at least?"_ He asked to change the subject.

"Bien sûr que oui. Franchement, vous me prenez pour qui? Je m'appelle Vincent Lambert et je vis chez mon père, Matthew Williams. Au fait, je suis où?"/ _"Of course I do. Honestly, whom do you take me for? My name is Vincent Lambert and I live with my father, Matthew Williams. Actually, where am I?" _ Jean-Pierre tried to tell himself he should at least rejoice that not all of his partner's memories vanished, but it still hurt.

"I ken bring you dere, to your fat'er's, if you want." He told Vincent slipping into English. He thought he was doing the younger man a favour, but if anything, he looked even more appalled.

"Please, no need to destroy my beautiful English, thank you. I can obviously speak better French than you can speak English. We'll stick to French before you make my ears bleed."

"J'essayais de t'faire une faveur, mais bon, si ça te déplais autant…"/ _"I was trying to do you a favour, but if you dislike it that much."_

"I thought you were bringing me to my father's place." That closed the argument rather efficiently. Jean-Pierre got up and headed to the entrance closet to get their coats. On his way there, he tipped over a picture taken on their wedding, before grabbing Vincent's coat and throwing it at the younger man with much more force than necessary.

Once they were dressed, they made their way to Jean-Pierre's car and the ride to their father's was done in complete silence, safe for the occasional muttered curse that came from the driver. Vincent rolled his eyes after each one, until he finally snapped at the person he still considered a stranger and told him he could very well hear him.

When they got to Matthew's house, they walked up the stairs and Jean-Pierre was the one to knock. They waited for a few seconds before their father opened up. He seemed surprised, but pleased to see them, but when he saw the hurt expression on his eldest, and the look of disdain on his second born, his smile turned into a small frown.

"Hey, Vincent, Jean! Ça va? Qu'est-c'qui vous amène ici?"/ _"Hey, Vincent, Jean! How are you? What brings you here?" _ Matthew asked.

"J'peux-tu te parler… tout seul, s'il te plait?"/ _"Can I talk to you… all alone, please?" _ Warning bells were immediately going off in Matthew's head, when Jean-Pierre asked him so nicely and with that dejected tone of voice. It also didn't help that Vincent was glaring at Jean-Pierre, almost as if he wanted to be as far away from him as possible.

"Bien sûr, Jean, suis moi. Vincent, make yourself comfortable."/ _"Of course, Jean, follow me…"_ Vincent nodded his head and removed his shoes, before looking around the entrance, while the other two left for Matthew's study.

They were silent when they got there and Matthew could tell Jean-Pierre was fighting the urge to let go of everything he was keeping inside of him, so he did what any parent would do and hugged his son to him, while whispering soothing words to the younger man. Under normal circumstances, Jean-Pierre would have pushed his father away, but this time, Matthew's first born simply latched on to his father and erupted into a fit of tears.

"Jean… qu'est-ce qui c'est passé mon grand, qu'est-ce qui est arrivé?"/ _"Jean… what happened?"_ Matthew asked him, as he patted his son on the back, who simply continued crying.

"Chais pas! On était dans 'cuisine une seconde, pis après y s'est évanoui, pis quand y s'est réveillé y s'rapp'lait pu d'moi! Y'a aucune idée qui chuis… Papa, qu'essé chu supposé faire?"/ _"I don't know! We were in the kitchen one moment and after he fainted and when he woke up, he didn't remember me! He has no idea who I am… Dad, what am I supposed to do?"_ Matthew's eyes widened a bit at the revelation and he hugged the other man tighter still.

"Mon pauvre bébé… je suis désolé, Jean. Allez, prend une bonne grande respiration, pis essuie tes larmes."/ _"My poor baby… I'm sorry, Jean. Come on, take a deep breath and dry your tears." _ He handed him a tissue, which Jean-Pierre took in shaky hands and blew his nose noisily in it, before putting it in the wastebasket.

"Tu l'aimes, right?"/ _"You love him, right?"_ Matthew asked him, once he calmed down some. Jean-Pierre didn't even hesitate, nodding his head.

"Ben va y dire. Je suis sûr que si tu lui expliques tout ce qui c'est passé il va comprendre."/ _"Well go tell him. I'm sure if you explain everything that happened to him he'll understand."_ Jean-Pierre didn't look convinced and Matthew was about to push him out the door and give him more advice, but just then, they both heard a loud thump coming from outside. Jean-Pierre was the first one out of the study, fearing for the worst.

His fears were confirmed when he found Vincent passed out on the entrance floor, close to the little table that held various pictures of their family, one of them lying next to his hand.

"Vincent! Papa, viens vite, viens m'aider!"/ _"Vincent! Dad, come quick, come help me!"_ He yelled out, as fear welled up in him and more tears rolled down his cheeks.

* * *

"Jean! Jean, réveille toi, allez, c'est fini maintenant."/ _"Jean! Jean, wake up, come on, it's all over now."_ Jean-Pierre sat up straight, as he opened his eyes and nearly collided with the worried face of Vincent.

"Vincent?" He asked, trying to catch his breath, not fully understanding just yet, what transgressed in the last few moments.

"Oui, je suis là chéri, est-ce que ça va?"/ _"Yes, I'm here, love, are you okay?"_ The younger of the two asked, not sure why his partner looked so scared. He was even further startled when Jean-Pierre grabbed him forcefully and hugged him tightly to his chest. Vincent brought his arms around the other's shoulders and heard the older man whisper incoherent thoughts that he strung together.

"Jean, j't'entends pas, s'il te plait, dit moi qu'ess qui c'est passé?"/ _"Jean, I can't hear you, please, tell me what happened."_ It took a few seconds for Jean-Pierre to understand that all of this was nothing but a bad dream and when he finally grasped that, he took a deep, shuddering breath and explained what happened in his dream. Vincent listened attentively and patted his lover soothingly on the back, understanding why it affected him so.

"C'est fini maintenant, shhh, c'tait rien qu'un mauvais rêve."/ _"It's over now, shhh, it was only a bad dream."_ Vincent murmured, as he placed feather light kisses on his lover's scalp, hoping it would help him calm down.

"Je sais, mais y'avait juste tellement de mépris dans ta voix et t'avais l'air répugné par ma présence… j'ai jamais vu autant d'haine dans tes yeux… ça m'a vraiment fait de quoi, pis c'tait tellement réaliste… pis j'ai eu tellement peur que ch't'avais perdu pour de bon…"/ _"I know, but there was so much hate in your voice and you looked repulsed by my presence… I never saw so much disdain in your eyes… it really got to me and it felt so real… and I was so scared I had lost you for real…" _ Vincent noticed a tear falling from Jean-Pierre's eyes and wiped it away with the pad of his thumb.

"Je sais pas quoi te dire… je suis désolé…"/ _"I don't know what to tell you… I'm sorry…"_ He started rocking him like he would a child, while Jean-Pierre continued clutching to him like a life line.

"Tu sais même pas c't'ait quoi l'pire dans tout ça…"/ _"You don't even know what's the worst in all this…"_ He started off, voice hoarser than it usually was. He was afraid to find out, but understood Jean-Pierre needed to tell him and at the same time, he wanted to know to comfort him.

"C'tait quoi?"/ _"What was it?" _ He watched, as Jean-Pierre took another lungful of air, before looking straight into his eyes and said words that froze his blood and hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Tu as appelé c'qu'on a… ben, t'as dit qu'on était dans une relation incestueuse…"/ _"You called what we have… well, you said that we were in a incestuous relationship." _ Vincent had to really force himself to hold back his sob.

"T'avais juste l'air vraiment dégouté par tout et je sais que c'tait un rêve, mais ça m'a vraiment affecté, pis ça m'a fait réfléchir à notre relation aussi. J'veux dire, c'tu normal c'qu'on a? Y'a tu que'que chose de pas correct avec nous?"/ _"You just looked really disgusted with everything and I know it was a dream, but it really affected me and it made me think of our relationship too. I mean, is it normal what we have? Is there something wrong with us?"_ Vincent could tell Jean-Pierre was distraught and simply continued to hold him close.

"Jean, écoute moi s'il te plait; est-c'que Dad a accouché de nous?"/ _"Jean, listen to me please; did Dad give birth to us?"_ His lover looked at him funny, but Vincent shook his head and asked his question again.

"Non…"/ _"No…"_

"Bon, ben, ça devrait te donner la réponse à ta question. Le bond qui existe entre nous, c'n'est pas le même qui existe entre des frères et sœurs humains."/ _"Well, that should give you your answer. The bond that exists between us isn't the same that exists between human brothers and sisters." _ Jean-Pierre did not seem convinced and Vincent sighed, kissing the top of his head.

"Je t'aime, oui?"/ _"I love you, yes?" _ He asked.

"Oui…"/ _"Yes…" _ Jean-Pierre replied, not sure where this was going.

"Et tu m'aimes, right?"/ _"And you love me, right?" _ He continued on.

"Bien sûr que si."/ _"Of course I do."_

"Bon, ben, yé où le problème, hmm?"/ _So where's the problem, hmm?" _ Jean-Pierre said nothing for a little bit.

"La seule chose qui importe c'est qu'ensemble on est heureux, pis le reste du monde n'a pas besoin de connaître notre historique au complet."/ _"The only thing that matters is that together we're happy, and the rest of the world doesn't need to know our entire history." _ He caressed the older man's cheek tenderly and Jean-Pierre let out a sigh he didn't realise he was holding.

"Tout ira bien, tu vas voir."/ _"Everything's going to be okay, you'll see." _ Vincent murmured, before kissing Jean-Pierre softly. He responded to the kiss and sought comfort and acceptance from it, which his lover offered. When they pulled away, Vincent let him rest his head on his chest. He continued combing his fingers through his longer hair, until he felt Jean-Pierre was slowly falling back asleep.

"C'est ça, repose toi chéri, dors bien…"/ _"That's right, rest now love, sleep well…" _ With a final kiss to his forehead, Vincent pulled the covers over them and then decided to get some shut eye himself.

**OWARI 17**

**Vincent gets a point.**

**I do accept anonymous reviews.**

**Started writing: December 4****th**** 2010, 5:45pm**

**Finished writing: December 5****th**** 2010, 8:40pm**

**Started typing: January 4****th**** 2011, 7:26pm**

**Finished typing: January 4****th**** 2011, 9:57pm**


	18. Une question de poignée de porte

**Under Different Circumstances**

**Une question de poignée de porte**

**This one is funny, but it's bittersweet for me. It's the last story I wrote before finding out my uncle died. **

**In his memory…**

Under Different Circumstances

Une question de poignée de porte

Jean-Pierre was good with his hands. He was the proverbial handy man of the house and knew his way around the hardware store. Therefore, when the doorknob needed to get replaced, because he had to force the door open, since Vincent locked himself in there after a small spat, he went to the hardware store, Réno Dépot, to find a replacement. It was a logical thing to do.

"Bonjour monsieur, est-ce que vous cherchez quelque chose en particulier?"/ _"Hello sir, are you looking for something in particular?"_ A young man asked him.

"Oui, je cherche une poignée de porte pour ma salle de bain."/ _"Yes, I'm looking for a doorknob for my bathroom."_ The employee nodded and led him to the specific aisle.

"Alors, quel type de poignée recherchez-vous?"/ _"So, what type of doorknob are you looking for?" _ Jean-Pierre gave him the description of the one that had been there beforehand and the younger man found one that would be a good replacement.

"Vous êtes chanceux, elle est en spéciale aujourd'hui. Y'a tu autre chose que vous avez de besoin?"/ _"You're lucky, this one is on special today. Is there anything else you need?"_

"Non merci, ça va aller."/ _"No thanks, that'll be okay."_

"Passez un bonne journée!"/ _"Have a nice day!"_

"Vous de même."/ _"You as well."_

* * *

Doorknobs were supposed to last a long time. They usually got replaced because the owner of the house wanted to upgrade and change the style of the door. However, when one lived with the personified province of Ontario and when you yourself represented Québec, doorknobs were needed more frequently. For it seemed that every time they had a minor spat, Vincent would lock himself in the bathroom, Jean-Pierre would go and apologize, and when his lover wouldn't let him in, he would use his strength and break open the door.

"Bonjour monsieur, est-ce que j'peux vous aidez?"/ _"Hello sir, can I help you?"_ The same clerk asked him, about a week or so later.

"Ah, eum, oui, je cherche une poignée de porte de salle de bain."/ _"Ah, eum, yes, I'm looking for a doorknob for my bathroom." _ The man gave him a funny look, sort of recognizing him and brought him to the right aisle.

"Quel type de poignée recherchez-vous, monsieur?"/ _"What type of doorknob are you looking for, sir?"_ Jean-Pierre gave him the description of the one he got last time and the clerk gave him one that looked more or less like the one he pulled out last night, in a fit of rage over Vincent's stubbornness.

"Vous êtes chanceux, monsieur, y'a un rabais de dix dollars cette fin de semaine."/ _"You're lucky, sir, there's a rebate of ten dollars on it this weekend." _ He said enthusiastically.

"Ah ben, merci."/ _"Ah, thanks."_

"Autre chose?"/ _"Anything else?"_

"Non, ça va aller."/ _"No, that'll be okay."_

"Bonne fin de journée!"/ _"Have a nice day!" _ Jean-Pierre waved at him and went to pay for the doorknob.

* * *

Being English and French, or even being English Canadian and French Canadian came with a certain cultural package that could not simply be pushed aside. It was rooted into their DNAs, so even though Jean-Pierre loved Vincent and Vincent loved Jean-Pierre, there would forever be disputes between the two and the younger man seemed to like finding refuge in the bathroom.

Now there was nothing particularly wrong with that, but Jean-Pierre was not known to be a patient man and Vincent could be quite stubborn when he wanted to. After pleading for two hours to Vincent to open "la cristie d'porte" and getting a firm "non!" from Vincent, it was to be expected that Jean-Pierre would nearly rip the doorknob off to get into the bathroom to kiss his lover proper, after explaining once more that no, he was not having an affair with his Nordique's t-shirt.

"Bonjour monsieur, est-ce que j'peux vous aidez?"/ _"Hello sir, can I help you?" _ The same man with the same brown hair and the same glasses asked him.

"Ah, oui, je cherche une poignée de porte pour la salle de bain."/ _"Ah, yes, I'm looking for a doorknob for my bathroom." _ He told the man.

"Pardonnez moi l'indiscrétion, mais vous êtes venu récemment pour la même chose, non?"/ _"Excuse the indiscretion, but you came here recently for the same thing, no?"_ Jean-Pierre looked away, flushing with colour slightly.

"Oui…"/ _"Yes…"_

"Ben vous êtes chanceux, il me reste encore quelques-unes du même modèle que la dernière fois!"/ _"Well you're lucky, I still have some of the same model as last time!" _ The store clerk exclaimed happily, bringing him to the same aisle and giving him a doorknob in its fancy plastic binding.

"Autre chose, monsieur?"/ _"Anything else, sir?"_

"Non, merci, ça va aller."/ _"No thanks, that'll be okay."_

"Passez une bonne journée."/ _"Have a nice day."_

"Vous de même."/ _"You as well."_ Jean-Pierre went to pay for his doorknob, still feeling slightly embarrassed at the whole situation.

* * *

As much as he told himself next time he wouldn't lose his temper and rip the doorknob out, the fact remained Vincent knew how to get him upset. Now this time, though, it was slightly different. Yes they argued, yes Vincent locked himself up in the bathroom, but his lover decided to bathe to calm down and while he tried to get up, he slipped and hit himself.

As any worried lover, Jean-Pierre sprung into action and kicked the door open to come and check up on Vincent. The younger man was fine, but the doorknob was unhinged beyond repair.

"Ah, je me demandais quand vous reviendrez!"/ _"Ah, I was wondering when you would come back!" _ The clerk told him with a small teasing smile, the next time he saw him. Jean-Pierre forced a smile on his face, to hide his embarrassment, once more.

"J'imagine que vous savez ce que j'veux?"/ _"I suppose you know what I want?" _ He asked.

"Une poignée d'porte pour votre salle de bain, n'est-ce pas?"/ _"A doorknob for your bathroom, right?" _ He could only nod.

"Ça tombe bien, nous avons un spécial deux pour un. Vous n'aurez pas besoin de repasser pour quelque temps."/ _"You're just in luck, we have a two for one special. You won't have to come back for a little while." _ The two men laughed at the absurdity of the situation.

"Non, je suppose que non."/ _"No, I guess not."_

"Autre chose?"/ _"Anything else?"_

"Non, merci, c'est tout. Au fait, oui, j'peux avoir votre nom?"/ _"No thanks, that'll be all. Actually, yes, can I have your name?"_

"Ah, bien sûr, c'est Marcel, et vous?"/ _"Ah, of course, it's Marcel, and you?" _ The young man said with a bright smile, sticking his hand out.

"Jean-Pierre Tremblay." The older man returned, shaking the offered hand.

"Passez une bonne journée, M. Tremblay."/ _"Have a nice day, Mr. Tremblay."_

"Vous de même, Marcel."/ _"You too, Marcel."_

* * *

Being provinces meant they had to spend time in their own land, even if they had a lover that came from another part of the world. Therefore, even though they could count their blessings they were geographically close and the distance between Montréal and Ottawa wasn't that far, it also meant there were times when Vincent had to go to Toronto, as well.

As such, Jean-Pierre would begrudgingly make his way to that "ville à chier" just to make his partner happy and because he was rather fond of spending time with his lover.

However, trips to Toronto always meant Jean-Pierre's nerves were more irritable and when Vincent started nagging him about not cleaning the sink properly, after he finished shaving, it caused him to get upset easier and for Vincent to eventually lock himself up in his bathroom and for the poor doorknob to get manhandled beyond repair.

Jean-Pierre wished he packed the spare doorknob, instead of that extra pair of socks.

The following morning, after having made up with Vincent, he found a hardware store in Toronto and went inside to buy another doorknob. His only saving grace was that no one knew him here.

"Hi there sir, how may I help you?" Jean-Pierre almost let out a very unmanly scream, when a store clerk with brown hair and glasses with a nametag that read "Marcello" greeted him.

"Euhm, I'm looking for a… a… doorknob? For my bat'room. Yes, I tink dat's wat you call dem." The clerk continued to smile brightly, as he pulled out his walkie-talkie, and asked his superior to send him someone who spoke French. Jean-Pierre nearly throttled the man.

* * *

Two for one sales were quite good and indeed, he did not need to buy a doorknob at Réno Dépot for quite a while. However, when Vincent embarrassed himself after realizing that yes, he did sound particularly crude, after pretty much calling and referring to his lover as a very doable hole and other degrading terms, he locked himself up yet again.

This time, Jean-Pierre took the screwdriver with him, but on the last screw, something went wrong that broke the inside mechanism to the doorknob. There went that one.

"M. Tremblay! J'commençais à m'ennuyer de vous! Un plaisir de vous revoir!"/ _"Mr. Tremblay! I was starting to miss you! A pleasure to see you!"_

"Salut Marcel."/ _"Hello Marcel."_

"Une autre poignée de porte?"/ _"Another doorknob?" _ Jean-Pierre nodded and started heading towards the aisle.

"Vous n'auriez pas un frère à Toronto, par hasard?"/ _"You wouldn't have a brother in Toronto, by any chance?"_

"Non, mais j'ai un cousin."/ _"No, but I have a cousin."_ Jean-Pierre left it at that, too freaked out by the coincidence.

"Toujours une poignée C283VI8?"/ _"Always a C283VI8 doorknob?"_ Jean-Pierre nodded.

"Puis-je vous demandez c'que vous faites a'c ces poignées de porte?"/ _"Can I ask you what you do with these doorknobs?" _ Jean-Pierre looked away in embarrassment.

"Ah, je suis désolé! J'voulais pas – ce ne sont pas de mes affaires."/ _"Ah, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to – it's none of my business." _ The clerk said nervously.

"Nan, c'est bon Marcel. Il faut juste que j'exerce plus de patience…" / _"Nan, it's alright, Marcel. __I just need to be more patient." _He left it at that.

"Malheureusement, y'a pas de spécial ce mois-ci."/ _"Unfortunately, there aren't any specials this month."_

"C'est correct, merci."/ _"It's alright, thanks."_

* * *

Doorknobs were a strange and curious thing. As much as they somehow seemed useless, they weren't and Jean-Pierre cursed the man, or woman, who created doorknobs that could be locked from the inside. Because after having spent the equivalence of a small fortune on doorknobs, he finally realized his problem. There was no way for him to unlock the door from the outside, not even with a key.

The next time he went to the hardware store, there was a different gait to his step; he now had a plan.

"Bonjour M. Tremblay, vous allez bien?"/ _"Hello Mr. Tremblay, how are you?" _ Marcel asked him, upon his arrival.

"Oui, merci, et toi Marcel, en forme?"/ _"Yes, I'm fine, and you Marcel?" _The young man beamed.

"Excellente forme. Laissez moi deviner, M. Lambert s'est encore enfermé dans la salle de bain?"/ _"I'm doing quite well. Let me guess, M. Lambert locked himself again in the bathroom?" _ He nodded and the two shared a chuckle.

"Vous êtes chanceux, M. Tremblay, c'est la dernière qu'y m'reste. Moitié prix."/ _"You're lucky, Mr. Tremblay, it's the last one I have. Half price." _ The young clerk looked so proud of himself that Jean-Pierre didn't want to break his heart and he took it.

"Autre chose?"/ _"Anything else?" _ They both knew the answers, but this was routine by now.

"Non, merci, Marcel, ça va aller."/ _"No thanks, Marcel, that'll be all."_

"Passez une bonne journée M. Tremblay et vous saluerez M. Lambert de ma part."/ _"Have a nice day Mr. Tremblay and say hello to Mr. Lambert from me." _Jean-Pierre nodded and went to pay for his doorknob.

* * *

If furniture could speak, it would most certainly have very interesting tales to share with the world. Doorknobs were no exception. Jean-Pierre did his best to make this doorknob last longer and therefore, of all the ones they went through, this one would have more thrilling tales to tell, but there had also been a drastic change that would make this doorknob's story outshine the others.

It would tell its audience of the number of times Jean-Pierre closed the door behind him, as Vincent dragged him for steamy showers, or of that one time when Vincent was completely wasted and Jean-Pierre took care of him. It would tell them of the times it got up close and personal with either of the two men's rears, in heated make out sessions. It would also mention the fleeting touches it felt and of the fights that always ended with a warm embrace and a kiss.

Therefore, the following time Jean-Pierre went to Réno Dépot, many weeks passed, even months and he was somewhat pleased Marcel was still there.

"M. Tremblay! J'commençais à m'ennuyer d'vous! Nos ventes en poignées de porte ont baissées là."/ _"Mr. Tremblay! I was starting to miss you! Our sales in doorknobs have gone down." _ The two men shared a laugh.

"M. Lambert s'enferme toujours dans votre salle de bain?"/ _"Mr. Lambert still locks himself up in your bathroom?"_

"Ah, c'est M. Lambert-Tremblay à c't'heure."/ _"Ah, it's Mr. Lambert-Tremblay now." _ He said with a proud smile. Marcel's eyes widened, as he noticed the little reflection of light, when Jean-Pierre moved his left hand in a certain way.

"Mes félicitations!"/ _"My congratulations!"_

"Merci, mais oui, il aime la salle de bain, qu'ess tu veux?"/ _"Thanks, but yes, he likes the bathroom, what can I say?"_

"Au fait, vous tombez bien, on vient justement de recevoir une nouvelle commande cette semaine."/ _"Actually, you're just in luck, we got a new order this week."_

"Ah, Marcel, j'veux une nouvelle poignée de porte; de préférence, une qui s'barre pas de l'intérieur."/ _"Ah, Marcel, I want a new doorknob; preferably one that I can't lock from the inside." _ The younger man nodded in understanding.

"Puis-je vous conseiller celle-ci?"/ _"May I recommend this one?"_

"Elle fera l'affaire."/ _"It'll do nicely."_

"Autre chose?"/ _"Anything else?"_

"Non, ça va aller, merci Marcel."/ _"No, that'll be all, thanks Marcel."_

"Bonne journée M. Tremblay!"/ _"Have a nice day Mr. Tremblay!"_

"Toi aussi, Marcel."/ _"You too, Marcel."_

* * *

Doorknobs could be interchangeable. They added to the style of a place, defined, and gave personality to a door. They were often unnoticed, but when they weren't there, their absence was noticed.

"Bonjour monsieur, est-ce que j'peux vous aidez?"/ _"Hello sir, can I help you?"_

"Ah, euh, je cherche une poignée de porte pour ma salle de bain…"/ _"Ah, eum, I'm looking for a doorknob for my bathroom…"_

"M. Lambert?!"/ _"Mr. Lambert?!"_

**OWARI 18**

**Love the ending!**

**I do accept anonymous reviews.**

**Started writing: December 6****th**** 2010, 3:05pm**

**Finished writing: December 6****th**** 2010, 9:54pm**

**Started typing: December 28****th**** 2010, 12:04am**

**Finished typing: December 28****th**** 2010, 1:09am**


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